Online reprogramming electronic bits for N dimension fractal soft deformable structures

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Soft Materials Science
• Bio-inspired Engineering
• Advanced Materials Development

Background:

• Natural systems exhibit complex fractal morphologies and deformations.
• Existing soft structures often lack sophisticated control over shape and movement.
• The need for adaptable, programmable soft materials is growing across various fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an N-dimensional soft structure using stretchable electronic bits.
• To enable independent and cooperative motion through machine language programming.
• To explore the theoretical and practical aspects of controlling complex deformations.

Main Methods:

• Design of a soft structure composed of programmable stretchable electronic bits.
• Development of a machine language for instruction encoding and bit programming.
• Theoretical analysis of fractal dimensions and deformation stability.
• Experimental validation using strip-shaped and hand-shaped soft structures.

Main Results:

• Soft structure stability and extremity achieved with over eighteen programming bits.
• Complex deformation morphologies comparable to natural structures (dandelion tufts, tree crowns) demonstrated.
• Agile deformation capabilities, similar to an octopus, were observed.
• Experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of online reprogramming for complex gestures like the 'OK' sign.

Conclusions:

• The developed soft structure offers a novel approach to programmable matter.
• The design strategy provides theoretical insights and practical demonstrations of complex soft structure manipulation.
• Potential applications in areas such as minimally invasive surgery and advanced robotics are highlighted.