Architecting three-dimensional reconfigurable matter from pop-up kirigami with programmable multistability.

Area of Science:

• Mechanical engineering
• Materials science
• Robotics

Background:

• Mechanical pop-up systems transform from 2D to 3D shapes, useful for manufacturing and deployable devices.
• Multistable pop-up kirigami simplifies manufacturing by separating 2D fabrication from 3D operation.
• Existing designs rely on multiloop coupling, often limited by geometric symmetry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generalize the pop-up kirigami platform by removing symmetry constraints.
• To enable programmable multistability with controlled, asymmetric pop-up and twisting motions.
• To demonstrate new formations and applications of this generalized platform.

Main Methods:

• Developed a generalized pop-up kirigami platform.
• Removed traditional geometric symmetry constraints in the multiloop coupling strategy.
• Demonstrated programmable multistability with asymmetric motions.

Main Results:

• Achieved previously inaccessible formations, including tristable units with two programmable spatial states.
• Created large-scale tessellations of interconnected units.
• Showcased applications in reconfigurable metamaterials, deployable arrays, soft robotics, and flexible electronics.

Conclusions:

• The generalized pop-up kirigami platform overcomes symmetry limitations for advanced manufacturing.
• This platform enables novel programmable multistable systems with controlled asymmetric movements.
• The demonstrated applications highlight the versatility for future technological advancements.