Actively controlled microarchitectures with programmable bulk material properties
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJonathan Hopkins, Yuanping Song
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microarchitectured material having a plurality of interconnected unit cells in 2D or 3D configurations. The permanent interconnections to adjacent unit cells include mechanical output structures driven by mechanical actuators. One or more sensors are preferably utilized, such as utilizing a sensing mode of the actuator, for detecting forces and or displacements applied to the unit cell. The unit cells are each controlled by a control circuit for generating drive signals to the actuators in the unit cell so that desired mechanical properties and/or shapes are exhibited by the microarchitectured material.
Claims20
A microarchitectured material apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of unit cells whose permanent interconnection to one another forms a microarchitectured material;
- multiple actuators within each of said unit cells;
- multiple mechanical output structures extending from each of said unit cells, each said mechanical output structure being coupled to a mechanical output structure extending in an opposing direction from an adjacent unit cell;
- wherein each of said multiple mechanical output structures is coupled to one or more of said multiple actuators in an adjacent active area of a unit cell for actuating motion;
- at least one processor;
- and
- a memory storing instructions executable at least one said processor;
- wherein said instructions, when executed, perform steps comprising generating drive voltages from said processor to control the activation of each of said multiple actuators in each of said unit cells toward achieving a specific material property and/or shape in said microarchitectured material.
A microarchitectured material apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) unit cells whose permanent interconnection to one another forms a microarchitectured material;
- multiple actuators within each of said unit cells;
- multiple mechanical output structures extending from each of said unit cells each said mechanical output structure being coupled to a mechanical output structure extending in an opposing direction from an adjacent unit cell;
- at least one flexing structure attached to an output structure of said multiple mechanical output structures for constraining motion of said actuator with each flexible structure (flexure) configured to deform in guiding motion of said output structure along an axis;
- wherein each of said multiple mechanical output structures is coupled to one or more of said multiple actuators in an adjacent active area of a unit cell for actuating motion;
- at least one processor;
- and
- a memory storing instructions executable at least one said processor;
- wherein said instructions, when executed, perform steps comprising generating drive voltages from said processor to control the activation of each of said multiple actuators in each of said unit cells toward achieving a specific material property and/or shape in said microarchitectured material.
A microarchitectured material apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of unit cells whose permanent interconnection to one another forms an microarchitectured material;
- multiple actuators within each of said unit cells;
- multiple mechanical output structures extending from each of said unit cells, each said mechanical output structure being coupled to a mechanical output structure extending in an opposing direction from an adjacent unit cell;
- wherein each of said multiple mechanical output structures is coupled to one or more of said multiple actuators in an adjacent active area of a unit cell for actuating motion;
- and
- a control circuit configured for generating drive voltages to control the activation of each of said multiple actuators in each of said unit cells toward achieving a specific material property and/or shape in said microarchitectured material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.