|
Generalized Kokotsakis Meshes & Bricard Octahedra
This project is devoted to the classification of flexible generalizations of Kokotsakis meshes and Bricard octahedra.
This project is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).
Grant DOI: 10.55776/PAT1713226 (FWF project page)
Duration: 2027-2031
FWF-Funding: € 225 490.00
Project leader: Georg Nawratil
|
CAD model and physical model of a bi-Bennett:
Generalized Bricard octahedron where one pair of opposite 4R-loops consists of two
Bennett 4R-mechanisms and all remaining four 4R-loops are spherical.
|
Aims and Scope
Over the past decades, considerable research has focused on discrete structures that can move only because of special geometric relations of their components. Many of these
so-called overconstrained mechanisms, which are of interest in engineering, architecture, art, and origami-inspired design, contain Kokotsakis belts: polyhedral strips
surrounding an n-sided central polygon, with three faces meeting at each vertex of the polygon. For n=3, Kokotsakis belts are closely related to Bricard's flexible octahedra,
since an additional eighth face can be attached without restricting their motion.
To expand the design space of transformable structures, we generalize these mechanisms by allowing skew faces and by no longer restricting their 4R-loops to spherical ones;
planar 4R-loops and Bennett 4R-mechanisms are also permitted.
This project aims to classify these generalized structures with overconstrained mobility.
One open PhD-position
The open position has been announced via the VSM-call.
The application deadline is December 13, 2026.
|
Technische Universität Wien
