The level of tension in the cords can "tune" the resulting structure's stiffness -- a fully taut state offers the strongest and stiffest level, but incremental changes in the cords' tension allow the structure to flex while still offering strength. The key is the precision geometry of the nesting cones and the friction between them.
Structures that use the design can collapse and stiffen over and over again, making them useful for long-lasting designs that require repeated movements. The material also offers easier transportation and storage when in its undeployed, limp state.
#ucla-engineers #tunable-dynamic-material #soft-robotics #reconfigurable-architectures #metamaterial
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