Abstract:
The ability to model, simulate and design the self-folding
behavior of weft-knitted textiles is important for a variety of functional
fabric applications. For example, simulating the emergent structure and
shape of knitted textiles is seen as critical for producing fabrics with
specific shape, strength, impact, thermal and dynamic characteristics.
We present a method for simulating the mesoscale self-folding behavior
of weft-knitted fabrics utilizing a yarn-level model. Our method is based
on a yarn-level geometric model developed for a previous knitted fabric
simulation project and a dynamic geometry processing system built on a
unified framework for optimization under constraints. Bringing these two
technical components together allows us to create models that properly
capture the local topological structure of Knit and Purl stitches in a
weft-knitted fabric.These yarn-level topological relationships, along with
the mechanical properties of yarns, give rise to the forces and torques
that lead to weft-knitted fabrics' self-folding and curling behaviors. The
constraint optimization system computes a dynamic response for the
input yarn geometries and produces the final self-folded structure. We
present the results from our initial computational studies of knitted fabric
self-folding behavior. These results show that the stereotypical mesoscale
structures of weft-knitted fabrics can be attributed to the interaction
between yarn-level topological structures and the mechanical bending
properties of the fabric's yarn.
