Transition fronts, moving through solids and fluids in the form of propagating domain or phase boundaries, have recently been mimicked at the structural level in bistable architectures. What has been limited to simple one-dimensional (1D) examples is here cast into a blueprint for higher dimensions, demonstrated through 2D experiments and described by a continuum mechanical model that draws inspiration from phase transition theory in crystalline solids. Unlike materials, the presented structural analogs admit precise control of the transition wave’s direction, shape, and velocity through spatially tailoring the underlying periodic network architecture (locally varying the shape or stiffness of the fundamental building blocks, and exploiting interactions of transition fronts with lattice defects such as point defects and free surfaces). The outcome is a predictable and programmable strongly nonlinear metamaterial motion with potential for, for example, propulsion in soft robotics, morphing surfaces, reconfigurable devices, mechanical logic, and controlled energy absorption.

We study wave dispersion in a one-dimensional nonlinear elastic metamaterial consisting of a thin rod with periodically attached local resonators. Our model is based on an exact finite-strain dispersion relation for a homogeneous solid, utilized in conjunction with the standard transfer matrix method for a periodic medium. The nonlinearity considered stems from large elastic deformation in the thin rod, whereas the metamaterial behavior is associated with the dynamics of the local resonators. We derive an approximate dispersion relation for this system and provide an analytical prediction of band-gap characteristics. The results demonstrate the effect of the nonlinearity on the characteristics of the band structure, including the size, location, and character of the band gaps. For example, large deformation alone may cause a pair of isolated Bragg-scattering and local-resonance band gaps to coalesce. We show that for a wave amplitude on the order of one-eighth of the unit cell size, the effect of the nonlinearity in the structure considered is no longer negligible when the unit-cell size is one-fourteenth of the wavelength or larger.

Soft materials are inherently flexible and make suitable candidates for soft robots intended for specific tasks that would otherwise not be achievable (e.g., smart grips capable of picking up objects without prior knowledge of their stiffness). Moreover, soft robots exploit the mechanics of their fundamental building blocks and aim to provide targeted functionality without the use of electronics or wiring. Despite recent progress, locomotion in soft robotics applications has remained a relatively young field with open challenges yet to overcome. Justly, harnessing structural instabilities and utilizing bistable actuators have gained importance as a solution. This report focuses on substrate-free reconfigurable structures composed of multistable unit cells with a nonconvex strain energy potential, which can exhibit structural transitions and produce strongly nonlinear transition waves. The energy released during the transition, if sufficient, balances the dissipation and kinetic energy of the system and forms a wave front that travels through the structure to effect its permanent or reversible reconfiguration. We exploit a triangular unit cell’s design space and provide general guidelines for unit cell selection. Using a continuum description, we predict and map the resulting structure’s behavior for various geometric and material properties. The structural motion created by these strongly nonlinear metamaterials has potential applications in propulsion in soft robotics, morphing surfaces, reconfigurable devices, mechanical logic, and controlled energy absorption.

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