Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes (PMMH), ESPCI Paris, PSL University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
Nat Mater. 2019 Jan;18(1):24-28. doi: 10.1038/s41563-018-0219-x. Epub 2018 Nov 19.
Shape-morphing structures are at the core of future applications in aeronautics, minimally invasive surgery, tissue engineering and smart materials. However, current engineering technologies, based on inhomogeneous actuation across the thickness of slender structures, are intrinsically limited to one-directional bending. Here, we describe a strategy where mesostructured elastomer plates undergo fast, controllable and complex shape transformations under applied pressure. Similar to pioneering techniques based on soft hydrogel swelling, these pneumatic shape-morphing elastomers, termed here as 'baromorphs', are inspired by the morphogenesis of biological structures. Geometric restrictions are overcome by controlling precisely the local growth rate and direction through a specific network of airways embedded inside the rubber plate. We show how arbitrary three-dimensional shapes can be programmed using an analytic theoretical model, propose a direct geometric solution to the inverse problem, and illustrate the versatility of the technique with a collection of configurations.
形状变形结构是航空航天、微创手术、组织工程和智能材料未来应用的核心。然而，目前基于细长结构厚度上的非均匀驱动的工程技术，本质上仅限于单向弯曲。在这里，我们描述了一种策略，其中介观弹性体板在施加压力下经历快速、可控和复杂的形状转变。类似于基于软水凝胶膨胀的开创性技术，这些气动形状变形弹性体，在这里称为“棒状变形体”，灵感来自于生物结构的形态发生。通过精确控制内部特定气道网络的局部生长速率和方向，克服了几何限制。我们展示了如何使用解析理论模型来编程任意三维形状，提出了逆问题的直接几何解决方案，并通过一系列配置说明了该技术的多功能性。
