Inverse Discrete Elastic Rod

TL;DR

This paper introduces an efficient inverse design method for elastic rods that accurately determines undeformed shapes from target configurations, enabling rapid and precise design of flexible structures for various applications.

Contribution

The inverse-DER method reformulates the inverse elastic rod problem as a static equilibrium, achieving forward-simulation-level efficiency with high accuracy under general conditions.

Findings

Validated with physical prototypes and simulations

Achieves real-time inverse design for elastic structures

Demonstrates robustness and high fidelity in shape recovery

Abstract

Inverse design of slender elastic structures underlies a wide range of applications in computer graphics, flexible electronics, biomedical devices, and soft robotics. Traditional optimization-based approaches, however, are often orders of magnitude slower than forward dynamic simulations and typically impose restrictive boundary conditions. In this work, we present an inverse discrete elastic rods (inverse-DER) method that enables efficient and accurate inverse design under general loading and boundary conditions. By reformulating the inverse problem as a static equilibrium in the reference configuration, our method attains computational efficiency comparable to forward simulations while preserving high fidelity. This framework allows rapid determination of undeformed geometries for elastic fabrication structures that naturally deform into desired target shapes upon actuation or loading. We validate the approach through both physical prototypes and forward simulations, demonstrating its accuracy, robustness, and potential for real-world design applications.