Optimizing level-set structural design of flexure mechanism

1. A method, comprising:

determining one or more structural constraints for a structural design of a flexure mechanism, the flexure mechanism comprising a plurality of rigid structural elements that are connected by a plurality of flexible structural elements, the plurality of rigid and flexible structural elements producing a geometric motion on application of a force;

optimizing a level-set formula describing the structural design of the flexure mechanism subject to the one or more structural constraints for manufacturing the structural design of the flexure mechanism, the structural design of the flexure mechanism being free of joints and comprising one or more load points that are acted upon using an electrical load to actuate at least a portion of the plurality of flexible structural elements to produce the geometric motion of the flexure mechanism; and

outputting the structural design of the flexure mechanism based on the optimized level-set formula to a manufacturing device manufacturing the flexure mechanism according to the structural design.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more structural constraints comprises a strain energy constraint and a volume constraint, the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint being minimized.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint are minimized simultaneously during optimization of the level-set formula such that the structural design has minimum volume and maximum stiffness.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a stress constraint, the stress constraint being maintained below a critical stress threshold while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a moment of inertia constraint, the moment of inertia constraint being maintained below a moment of inertia threshold while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a curvature constraint, the curvature constraint comprising a convex curvature that is maintained below a curvature threshold while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a boundary of the curvature constraint is defined as a function of a radius of a tool used to manufacture the structural design.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a manufacturability constraint, the manufacturability constraint defined as a function of a diameter of the tool used to manufacture the structural design such that the diameter is less than a width of an opening of the structural design that the tool passes through to access a portion of the structural design while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to:

determine one or more structural constraints for a structural design of a flexure mechanism, the flexure mechanism comprising a plurality of rigid structural elements that are connected by a plurality of flexible structural elements, the plurality of rigid and flexible structural elements producing a geometric motion on application of a force;

optimize a level-set formula describing the structural design of the flexure mechanism subject to the one or more structural constraints for manufacturing the structural design of the flexure mechanism, the structural design of the flexure mechanism being free of joints and comprising one or more load points that are acted upon using an electrical load to actuate at least a portion of the plurality of flexible structural elements to produce the geometric motion of the flexure mechanism; and

output the structural design of the flexure mechanism based on the optimized level-set formula to a manufacturing device manufacturing the flexure mechanism according to the structural design.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more structural constraints comprises a strain energy constraint and a volume constraint, the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint being minimized.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint are minimized simultaneously during optimization of the level-set formula such that the structure design has minimum volume and maximum stiffness.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a stress constraint, the stress constraint being maintained below a critical stress threshold while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a moment of inertia constraint, the moment of inertia constraint being maintained below a moment of inertia threshold while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a curvature constraint, the curvature constraint comprising a convex curvature that is maintained below a curvature threshold while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a boundary of the curvature constraint is defined as a function of a radius of a tool used to manufacture the structural design.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the one or more structural constraints further comprises a manufacturability constraint, the manufacturability constraint defined as a function of a diameter of the tool used to manufacture the structural design such that the diameter is less than a width of an opening of the structural design that the tool passes through to access a portion of the structural design while minimizing the strain energy constraint and the volume constraint.

17. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to:

determine one or more structural constraints for a structural design of a flexure mechanism, the flexure mechanism comprising a plurality of rigid structural elements that are connected by a plurality of flexible structural elements, the plurality of rigid and flexible structural elements producing a geometric motion on application of a force;

optimize a level-set formula describing the structural design of the flexure mechanism subject to the one or more structural constraints for manufacturing the structural design of the flexure mechanism, the structural design of the flexure mechanism being free of joints and comprising one or more load points that are acted upon using an electrical load to actuate at least a portion of the plurality of flexible structural elements to produce the geometric motion of the flexure mechanism; and

output the structural design of the flexure mechanism based on the optimized level-set formula to a manufacturing device manufacturing the flexure mechanism according to the structural design.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recommending at least one constraint to be used for optimizing the level-set formula based on results from a plurality of previously-executed level-set optimization iterations for the structural design wherein various combinations of structural constraints and parameters for the structural constraints are modified for the previously-executed level-set optimization iterations.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexure mechanism comprises a gripper flexure mechanism comprising a plurality of structural elements for gripping that are actuated in response to application of an electrical load.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexure mechanism comprises a push button flexure mechanism comprising a push button structural element that is actuated in response to application of an electrical load to the push button structural element.