A unified cut topology that endows programmable bistability in modular kirigami morphing structures

Kirigami structures are capable of drastically changing their shapes into deployable structures, showing promise for applications in space structures, medical implants, and transformable robots. This paper proposes a cut topology of kirigami cell with two cuts arranged on the opposite sides only, leading to a modular-based bistable kirigami synthesis approach that guides designers to generate kirigami designs. Following such unified topology, a variety of deformation characteristics in kirigami cells, including tension-shear/bending with bistability, are yielded. The cells are programmatically tessellated to enable design of morphing structures that self-lock in target shapes with pre-defined deformation modes. The 3D kirigami structures are architected by magnetically assembling the kirigami cells, demonstrating bistable morphing capabilities. This work provides a route for designing flexible structures with programmable morphing modes in areas such as deployable structures and soft robotics.