Surface texturing using foldable structures and active material actuation

摘要

Active texturing systems adapted for selectively and reversibly modifying the texture of a surface utilizing a variably foldable structure in communication with the surface, and active material actuation to enable and/or cause folding.

主权项

1. A system for selectively modifying the texture of an exposed surface, said system comprising:
a foldable structure having two opposed faces, one of the two opposed faces defining the exposed surface, the foldable structure having a square Miura fold pattern, including:
a plurality of facets; andshared folding edges etched into both of the two opposed faces, a respective shared folding edge in one of the two opposed faces positioned directly opposite to an other respective shared folding edge in an other of the two opposed faces, each of the shared folding edges defined by respective adjacent facets, and the shared folding edges cooperating to define upper and lower vertices; and at least one active material actuator operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, the at least one actuator drivenly coupled to the foldable structure to cause a pitch and an amplitude of the plurality of facets to increase or decrease in response to the activation signal.