An Autonomous Programmable Actuator and Shape Reconfigurable Structures Using Bistability and Shape Memory Polymers

Autonomous deployment and shape reconfiguration of structures are a crucial field of research in space exploration with emerging applications in the automotive, building, and biomedical industries. Challenges in achieving autonomy include the following: bulky energy sources, imprecise deployment, jamming of components, and lack of structural integrity. Leveraging advances in the fields of shape memory polymers, bistability, and three-dimensional (3D) multimaterial printing, we present a 3D-printed programmable actuator that enables the autonomous deployment and shape reconfiguration of structures activated through surrounding temperature change. Using a shape memory polymer as the temperature controllable energy source and a bistable mechanism as the linear actuator and force amplifier, the structures achieve precise geometric activation and quantifiable load-bearing capacity. The proposed unit actuator integrates these two components and is designed to be assembled into larger deployable and sha...