Scientists create material that can transform into anything by pulling a string

There is a very thin line between mathematics and art. It turns out the same can be said about materials science and paper art.

At first glance, the flat tiling pattern developed by the researchers doesn’t look too special. But once you pull the little string sticking out from the side, the grid quickly transforms into whatever 3D structure it’s supposed to be. The new material, inspired by the Japanese paper art technique known as kirigamicould have an impressive range of applications, from transportable medical devices and foldable robots to modular space habitats on Mars.

The researchers, led by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, describe the new material in a recent report. ACM Transactions on Charts paper.

Algorithm inspired by art

For the new material, the researchers developed an algorithm that translates the 3D structure provided by users into a flat grid of quadrilateral tiles. This mimics the way artists who practice kirigami (literally Japanese for “cutting paper”) cut the material in a certain way to “encode it with unique properties,” the researchers explained to MIT News.

The specific mechanism applied here is known as the auxetic mechanism, which refers to a structure that thickens when stretched but thins when compressed.

The algorithm then calculates the “optimal rope path” to minimize friction and connect lifting points along the surface, so that the grids become the intended 3D structure with just a gentle pull on a rope.

“The simplicity of the entire actuation mechanism is a real advantage of our approach,” Akib Zaman, lead author of the study and an MIT graduate student, told MIT News. “All they have to do is enter their design, and our algorithm automatically takes care of the rest. »

The chair that held

After several simulations, the team finally used their method to design several real objects. These included medical tools such as splints or posture correctors and igloo-like structures.

Additionally, the algorithm is “manufacturing method independent,” which is why the researchers used laser-cut plywood boxes to create a fully deployable human-sized chair — and it held up when used as a real chair, according to the article.

That said, there will likely be “scale-specific engineering challenges” for larger architectural structures, the researchers noted in the paper. But the new method is easy to use and relatively accessible, so the team is now enthusiastically exploring ways to address these challenges, in addition to building smaller structures with this technique.

“I hope people can use this method to create a wide variety of different deployable structures,” Zaman said.