Euler Spiral Flexures in Metamaterials ID: 2019-036

A groundbreaking invention that leverages Euler spiral flexures to create highly compactable, elastic metamaterials with tailored mechanical properties.

Technology Overview

This innovative technology utilizes the unique geometry of Euler spiral flexures (ESFs) - curved, compliant beams whose curvature and length are directly correlated, allowing for hyper-compact storage and significant elastic deformations. By arranging ESFs into base units that form a 3D architecture, the metamaterial can exhibit variable properties such as directional stiffness and negative Poisson’s ratios, enabling the design of materials that combine compactness with large motion capabilities and specific mechanical behaviors.

Key Advantages

• Hyper-compact storage capabilities due to the unique properties of Euler spiral flexures
• Ability to achieve significant elastic deformations, offering greater flexibility in design and application
• Customizable mechanical properties, including directional stiffness and negative Poisson’s ratios, through strategic configuration of ESFs
• Potential for both coupling and decoupling motion and stiffness, depending on the arrangement of base units

Problems Addressed

• Addresses the need for materials that are both highly compactable and capable of large elastic deformations
• Overcomes limitations in tailoring the mechanical behavior of materials for specific applications, offering unprecedented control over properties such as stiffness and motion coupling

Market Applications

• Engineering fields requiring materials that can be compacted to a fraction of their expanded size without losing structural integrity
• Design and manufacturing of components where space is at a premium but large motion or specific mechanical responses are needed
• Potential applications in aerospace, robotics, and consumer electronics, where the unique properties of these metamaterials can lead to innovative product designs

Additional Information

Technology ID: 2019-036
Sell Sheet: Download the Sell Sheet here
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Date Published: 28 March, 2025