Designing multistable metamaterials inspired by Kresling tubes

Abstract

Multistable metamaterials have several relevant technical applications in various fields, such as soft robotics, mechanical computing, energy absorption, and wave control. These capabilities arise from the stored strain energy, characterised by a multi-well pattern. The properties determining this multistable mechanical behaviour are studied by considering metamaterials built as assemblies of unit modules constituted by Kresling tubes, i.e. tubes largely inspired by origami, which, when accurately designed, are bistable. Moreover, the assembly of properly designed units allows to obtain mats of Kresling tubes characterised by multiple stable states which can be maintained without providing additional energy. The present investigation exploits geometrical insights and computational modelling to highlight the most important circumstances determining the multistable mechanical response of these kind of structures.