3D compression-twist lattice metamaterials for surface reconfigurability of future architecture

Metamaterials refer to a class of materials with special properties, whose characteristics mainly come from the microstructures designed artificially. Among them, those metamaterials with tunable shape and mechanical properties under external stimuli provide a new inspiration for the design of the multifunctional structures. This work deals with the three-dimensional (3D) compression-twist lattice metamaterials, studies the surface reconfigurability under external forces, and reveals the torsion-bending coupling (TBC) effect of the special metamaterials. To explain the main characteristics of the TBC effect, the deformation mechanism of the metamaterials is analyzed. Combining the finite element method (FEM) and the spherical fitting algorithm, the relationship between the bending angle and the load of the metamaterials after deformation is analyzed and verified by experiments. Finally, a metamaterial module that could be freely transformed between planar and spherical surfaces is envisaged. A faster and greener solution is proposed for the construction of curved surfaces of engineering structures in the future, which promotes the subsequent applications of metamaterials to engineering practice.