Programming 3D curved mesosurfaces using microlattice designs

Cellular microstructures form naturally in many living organisms (e.g., flowers and leaves) to provide vital functions in synthesis, transport of nutrients, and regulation of growth. Although heterogeneous cellular microstructures are believed to play pivotal roles in their three-dimensional (3D) shape formation, programming 3D curved mesosurfaces with cellular designs remains elusive in man-made systems. We report a rational microlattice design that allows transformation of 2D films into programmable 3D curved mesosurfaces through mechanically guided assembly. Analytical modeling and a machine learning-based computational approach serve as the basis for shape programming and determine the heterogeneous 2D microlattice patterns required for target 3D curved surfaces. About 30 geometries are presented, including both regular and biological mesosurfaces. Demonstrations include a conformable cardiac electronic device, a stingray-like dual mode actuator, and a 3D electronic cell scaffold.

Automated summary

We present a rational microlattice design that enables the transformation of 2D films into programmable 3D curved mesosurfaces through mechanically guided assembly. Shape programming is achieved through analytical modeling and a machine learning-based computational approach, determining the heterogeneous 2D microlattice patterns necessary for target 3D curved surfaces. We demonstrate the versatility of this method with various geometries and applications, such as a conformable cardiac electronic device, a stingray-like dual mode actuator, and a 3D electronic cell scaffold.