Professor Shikui Chen and Collaborators Awarded Patent for Reconfigurable 3D Structures
Professor Shikui Chen of Stony Brook University's Department of Mechanical Engineering has been awarded
a U.S. patent for a novel approach to creating adaptable three-dimensional structures
that can transform into multiple shapes using a single underlying design.
The patent, "Systems and Methods for Forming Multiple 3D Structures from a Circularly-Packed Network of Structural Elements," was developed in collaboration with Xianfeng Gu and Zhou Zhao from the Department of Computer Science, Lingfeng Gao from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and researchers from Toyota. The technology uses a network of connected circular elements whose sizes define the overall geometry. By changing the sizes or arrangement of these elements, the same network can be reconfigured to form different 3D shapes.
"This patent demonstrates how computational geometry and mechanical design can be combined to transform a relatively simple network of circular elements into complex, adaptable three-dimensional structures," said Chen. "We hope this approach will contribute to future innovations in deployable systems, soft robotics, and shape-changing structures."