Lecture Series Adaptivity as Utopia – Shape Optimization of Columns and Arches through Load-induced Curvature Adaptation

We are pleased to invite you to the guest lecture “Shape Optimization of Columns and Arches through Load-induced Curvature Adaptation” by Prof. Peter Varkonyi from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. The event is part of the SFB 1244 lecture series – Adaptivity as Utopia.

Abstract

Plants use light, contact, and gravity sensors to optimize their shapes in heterogeneous environments. The shapes of roots, tendrils, and shoots are varied by quasi-static modulation of curvature. In contrast, shape adaptation remains rare among engineering structures.  Inspired by the biological examples, we investigate simple models of slender structures with actuators enabling direct or indirect curvature modulation. Our goal is to identify control policies enabling successful shape optimization under slowly varying loads. The example of a soft arch with curvature generated by incompatible boundary conditions shows that shape optimization can be viewed as a navigation task on an equilibrium manifold with complex topology. We also investigate a discrete structural model, where curvature is tuned directly by rotary actuators, and the goal of shape optimization is to eliminate bending. It is found that shape optimization is achievable despite limited sensor data. Semi-active control strategies, preferable from the point of view of reliability are also identified.

Short Bio

Peter Varkonyi was born in 1979 in Budapest, Hungary. He got his MSc (2003) and PhD (2006) degrees in architectural engineering. Since then, he has been active as researcher in applied mathematics and classical mechanics. Currently, he is professor of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He was a research scholar at Princeton University in 2006-07, and at the California Institute of Technology in 2009-10. Peter Várkonyi’s research interest includes applied mechanics, soft and adaptive structures, and connections between mechanics and geometry. He is co-inventor of the popular ’Gömböc’ shape.