Inverse design of programmable shape-morphing kirigami structures

Shape-morphing structures have the ability to transform from one state to another, making them highly valuable in engineering applications. This study proposes a two-stage shape-morphing framework, inspired by kirigami structures, to design structures that can deploy from a compacted state to a prescribed state under certain mechanical stimuli — although the framework can also be extended to accommodate various physical fields, such as magnetic, thermal and electric fields. The framework establishes a connection between the geometry and mechanics of kirigami structures. The proposed approach combines finite element analysis (FEA), genetic algorithm (GA), and an analytical energy-based model to obtain kirigami designs with robustness and efficiency. We expect that this approach to the design of kirigami structures will open up new avenues of research and application in shape-morphing structure design.