Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Soft structures with rationally designed architectures capable of large, nonlinear deformation present opportunities for unprecedented, highly tunable devices and machines. However, the highly dissipative nature of soft materials intrinsically limits or prevents certain functions, such as the propagation of mechanical signals. Here we present an architected soft system composed of elastomeric bistable beam elements connected by elastomeric linear springs. The dissipative nature of the polymer readily damps linear waves, preventing propagation of any mechanical signal beyond a short distance, as expected. However, the unique architecture of the system enables propagation of stable, nonlinear solitary transition waves with constant, controllable velocity and pulse geometry over arbitrary distances. Because the high damping of the material removes all other linear, small-amplitude excitations, the desired pulse propagates with high fidelity and controllability. This phenomenon can be used to control signals, as demonstrated by the design of soft mechanical diodes and logic gates.
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: G1020486556, Collaborative Research: Highly Nonlinear Transducer Arrays for Structural Health Monitoring, G2254063607, G2340514496, G2626327161, G3122093166, G3366412161, G3387330441, G4220372196, CAREER: Performance through Instability -- An Integrated Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Mechanics of Multiscale Material Systems, G6204481839, G6671297155, G7938602760, CAREER: BuckliOrigami: Soft, Active and Foldable Structures Through Instabilities and Large Deformation, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
OpenAlex ID: W2516723947