Morphing structure holding pot plant,
demonstrating its capacity for flexibility and strength. Credit: Raman Raman
Researchers
have recently developed a flexible-yet-sturdy morphing structure inspired by
the starfish skeleton that exhibits 4D morphing features with promising
applications for robotics, aviation, and medical devices.
"Starfish possess the remarkable
ability to effortlessly hold themselves in any body posture by changing the stiffness of their
endoskeleton," says Raman Raman, a Ph.D. student in the Biological
Structures and Biomimetics workgroup at Hochschule Bremen—City University of
Applied Sciences Bremen, Germany.
Ossicles are calcite microstructures inside starfish bodies that are connected in a network by collagen fibers to form the endoskeleton. This strong but simple structure allows them to hold a wide variety of body postures with minimal energy use.
Hand-shaped morphing structure unfolding with
shape memory. Credit: Raman Raman
"We became fascinated with
this biological solution to a complex engineering problem," says Mr.
Raman. "Our goal was to unlock the secrets of their intricate skeleton and
translate those principles into a novel material with similar remarkable
properties."
Mr. Raman and his team used a
multidisciplinary approach for this project. By using high resolution X-ray CT
scans, they visualized the starfish skeletal structures and used mathematical models (Finite Element
Analysis and Multibody Simulations) to understand the complex interlinked
mechanics of the skeletal components.
"For the first time, we are able to show the complex 3D structure of the starfish skeleton and the fine ultrastructure of the small ossicles," says Mr. Raman. "We have now used these insights for the biomimetic design process of our own morphing structure, incorporating rapid prototyping techniques for fabrication."
Microstructure of the starfish skeleton produced
by CT. Credit: Raman Raman
Mr. Raman and his team have used 3D
printing to produce different working prototypes that can accomplish an
impressive range of physical challenges. "Our patented starfish-inspired
morphing structure shows self-locking, continuous bending, self-healing, and
shape memory features," says the researcher.
The scalability, low cost and relative ease of manufacture of this morphing structure provides many opportunities for industry applications, including robotics, aviation, and biomedical devices such as prosthetics and implants.
Starfish-shaped morphing structure
holding a pencil. Credit: Raman Raman
This research is being presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Prague from 2–5 July 2024.
Provided by Society for Experimental Biology
by Society for Experimental
Biology
Source: Starfish skeleton inspires new 4D morphing structure (techxplore.com)
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