Hierarchical Design of Ambidirectional LCE Sheets for Three-State Gaussian Shape Morphs
Abstract
Modulation of surface curvature is a commonly exploited strategy to achieve adaptability within natural and synthetic systems where structure governs function. While Gaussian curvature of inextensible surfaces is fixed, surfaces made of extensible materials can adapts their Gaussian curvature under strain, unlocking capabilities such as locomotion, dynamic coloration, and tunable stiffness. This feature is commonly exploited to develop soft actuators capable of complex functionalities; however, traversing the entire spectrum of Gaussian curvature was previously difficult to achieve without the use of multi-material constructs or spatially varied stimulus fields. In this work, we present a strategy for generating a diverse range of dynamic Gaussian shape morphs using multiphase liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) as ambidirectionally deforming building blocks. Taking advantage of the materials sequential contraction and elongation during phase transitions, we design and investigate the deformation response of radially aligned flat LCE sheets which consecutively morph into negatively and positively curved flat surfaces in response to monotonically increasing temperature. We then investigate the influence of mesoscale asymmetry and macroscale geometry on curvature magnitude and bending symmetry, thereby demonstrating that a single form factor can be programmed to undergo a rich library of deformation behaviors. Finally, inspired by the strategy of cephalopods to couple mechanical deformability to dynamic optical properties, we fabricate a structurally colored LCE sheet which couples its dynamic Gaussian curvature to a dynamic color-changing response. This approach offers a route toward adaptive structures capable of multistate shape reconfiguration for applications in soft robotics, deployable systems, and responsive surfaces.
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BibTeX
@misc{wilborn2026hierarchical,
title = {{Hierarchical Design of Ambidirectional LCE Sheets for Three-State Gaussian Shape Morphs}},
author = {Atalaya Milan Wilborn and Gurminder K. Paink and Raphael Kay and Patryk Wasik and Friedrich Stricker and Jacopo Movilli and Shucong Li and Joanna Aizenberg},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2611.09952},
eprint = {2611.09952},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.09952},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Hierarchical Design of Ambidirectional LCE Sheets for Three-State Gaussian Shape Morphs
AU - Atalaya Milan Wilborn
AU - Gurminder K. Paink
AU - Raphael Kay
AU - Patryk Wasik
AU - Friedrich Stricker
AU - Jacopo Movilli
AU - Shucong Li
AU - Joanna Aizenberg
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2611.09952
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.09952
AB - Modulation of surface curvature is a commonly exploited strategy to achieve adaptability within natural and synthetic systems where structure governs function. While Gaussian curvature of inextensible surfaces is fixed, surfaces made of extensible materials can adapts their Gaussian curvature under strain, unlocking capabilities such as locomotion, dynamic coloration, and tunable stiffness. This feature is commonly exploited to develop soft actuators capable of complex functionalities; however, traversing the entire spectrum of Gaussian curvature was previously difficult to achieve without the use of multi-material constructs or spatially varied stimulus fields. In this work, we present a strategy for generating a diverse range of dynamic Gaussian shape morphs using multiphase liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) as ambidirectionally deforming building blocks. Taking advantage of the materials sequential contraction and elongation during phase transitions, we design and investigate the deformation response of radially aligned flat LCE sheets which consecutively morph into negatively and positively curved flat surfaces in response to monotonically increasing temperature. We then investigate the influence of mesoscale asymmetry and macroscale geometry on curvature magnitude and bending symmetry, thereby demonstrating that a single form factor can be programmed to undergo a rich library of deformation behaviors. Finally, inspired by the strategy of cephalopods to couple mechanical deformability to dynamic optical properties, we fabricate a structurally colored LCE sheet which couples its dynamic Gaussian curvature to a dynamic color-changing response. This approach offers a route toward adaptive structures capable of multistate shape reconfiguration for applications in soft robotics, deployable systems, and responsive surfaces.
ER -