Inverse Design of Snap-Through Multiscale Lattice Structures

Abstract

Multiscale structures, including metamaterials, can exhibit highly nonlinear behavior at the macroscale by adjusting the properties of their microscale unit cells. In this paper we investigate the inverse design of a unit cell for a prescribed homogenized stress-strain response by tailoring its properties using topology optimization. This work extends the state-of-the-art by incorporating both buckling and self-contact into the optimization framework, expanding the design space and allowing for the generation of novel microstructures with highly nonlinear behavior, including snap-through and bistability. The new tailored lattice structures generated by this optimization approach can be applied in the aerospace industry for actuators, mechanical switches, soft robotics, morphing structures, and deployable structures.