Towards Stiffness Tunable Programmable Matter

Abstract

The Datom is a novel design for a programmable matter robotic agent, proposed by Piranda and Bourgeois (2022), that can move and reconfigure by deforming its outer shell. This paper explores how the kinematic behaviour of the single Datom, paired with the stiffness of its actuators, can determine the stiffness of the structures the agents create. We propose a simplified mathematical model based on conservation of elastic energy that can characterise the stiffness of lattice structures created by Datoms. The model is validated experimentally to demonstrate that it provides good predictions, especially as the size of the lattice increases. Furthermore, an implementation for a stiffness tunable reconfigurable lattice is proposed and a functioning proof-of-concept prototype is introduced in this paper.