Conformational Control of Mechanical Networks

TL;DR

This paper develops principles for designing mechanical networks with specific conformational motions, enabling control over their deformation modes and functional properties like negative Poisson ratio and allosteric responses.

Contribution

It introduces new design principles for 2D and 3D Maxwell networks to achieve targeted zero modes and complex conformational behaviors.

Findings

Designed networks with specified zero modes.

Created large, modular networks with multiple motions.

Achieved functional properties like negative Poisson ratio.

Abstract

Understanding conformational change is crucial for programming and controlling the function of many mechanical systems such as allosteric enzymes and tunable metamaterials. Of particular interest is the relationship between the network topology or geometry and the specific motions observed under controlling perturbations. We study this relationship in mechanical networks of 2-D and 3-D Maxwell frames composed of point masses connected by rigid rods rotating freely about the masses. We first develop simple principles that yield all bipartite network topologies and geometries that give rise to an arbitrarily specified instantaneous and finitely deformable motion in the masses as the sole non-rigid body zero mode. We then extend these principles to characterize networks that simultaneously yield multiple specified zero modes, and create large networks by coupling individual modules. These principles are then used to characterize and design networks with useful material (negative Poisson ratio) and mechanical (targeted allosteric response) functions.