ECCOMAS 2024

Tailoring the mechanical responses of metamaterial through a waterbomb-based tubular architecture

  • Sharma, Aditi (University of Southampton)
  • Naskar, Susmita (University of Southampton)
  • Mukhopadhyay, Tanmoy (University of Southampton)

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Mechanical Metamaterials are emerging artificially designed structures characterized by distinctive and advantageous mechanical properties, primarily dictated by their structural and geometric configurations rather than being solely dependent on the inherent material characteristics of their constituent elements [1-2]. Origami is increasingly recognized as a promising fundamental element in the development of mechanical metamaterials, showcasing versatile functionalities and programmability, and this is owed to its ability to translate a 2D crease pattern into a sophisticated 3D form. The waterbomb tubular structure represents a distinct geometric configuration employed in mechanical metamaterials to attain specific favorable mechanical characteristics through the modification of the fold's dimensions, shapes, and arrangements, and it becomes feasible to tailor characteristics such as stiffness, flexibility, and strength to suit the intended application. Here, we characterized and analyzed the mechanical behavior of a metamaterial featuring a waterbomb tubular structure under external axial loading conditions. In this study, the rigid foldability and motion behavior of the water tube are examined thoroughly by analyzing the displacement and stored energy response of the water tubular structure with the increment of force. Besides extensive computational analyses, the folding response of waterbomb tube configurations is demonstrated with physical prototypes. Furthermore, under the application of compression, the waterbomb tubular structure demonstrates resilience against deformation and displays efficient shock absorption characteristics. The computational model for the waterbomb tubular structure developed in this work can be generalized to various origami patterns, enabling the creation of versatile programmable metamaterials for applications in aerospace systems, soft robotics, morphing structures, and medical devices.