An Inflatable Soft Clutch Based on Bistable Mechanical Metamaterials
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Metamaterials are a class of materials that exhibit behaviors not found in nature. Their unusual properties arise from the design and arrangement of their internal structures, rather than from their chemical composition. Beyond passive mechanical responses, metamaterials can be combined with active actuation strategies to enable reconfiguration and tunable functionality. Such actuation can be achieved through various external stimuli, including magnetic fields, temperature changes, or electrical inputs, as well as through pneumatic actuation using inflatable structures. In particular, inflatable architectures provide a simple and robust approach to actuate metamaterials and induce controlled transitions between mechanical configurations. As a result, metamaterials have been applied across a wide range of fields, from optics to mechanics. The behavior of mechanical metamaterials is typically governed by the collective response of their unit cells. Unit cells distributed throughout the metamaterial may exhibit different mechanical properties, which endows the overall structure with a high degree of versatility and enables tuning of its mechanical response. Among the various unit-cell designs that have been explored, bistable unit cells are particularly attractive, as their distinct mechanical states can be associated with different effective properties. Moreover, the force required to transition between these mechanical states can be independently tailored. Herein, we develop an inflatable soft clutch composed of bistable unit cells that transition between mechanical states as a function of internal pressure. As the pressure increases, the stiffness provided by the device increases in four discrete steps through the sequential snapping of the unit cells. Conversely, upon pressure reduction, the unit cells snap back to their original mechanical states at different pressure levels, leading to a progressive decrease in the overall stiffness of the device. Finite Element Analysis, together with a dynamic model, is also presented. This design is envisioned for applications requiring adaptive stiffness, such as mechanical vibration control and variable-stiffness elements in soft robotics, including robotic grippers.
