---
OA_place: publisher
_id: '20276'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Complex 3D shapes can be created by morphing flat 2D configurations. Such
    deformations\r\neither preserve the intrinsic material geometry (e.g., folding
    paper) or modify it through\r\nlocalized contraction. Once transformed, the 3D
    shape can be further controlled to achieve a\r\ntarget functionality. A key challenge
    is to take the material specifications and the actuation\r\nprocess as input to
    automatically design the target 3D shape and its functionality. This thesis\r\npresents
    two novel computational pipelines for the design and control of shape-morphing\r\nstructures
    used to create functional prototypes.\r\nThe first pipeline borrows from the art
    of origami to fold paper into intricate shapes and\r\napplies this principle to
    make 3D lighting displays. We introduce, PCBend a computational\r\ndesign approach
    that covers a surface with individually addressable RGB LEDs, effectively\r\nforming
    a low-resolution surface by folding rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs). We optimize\r\ncut
    patterns on PCBs to act as hinges and co-design LED placement, circuit routing,
    and\r\nfabrication constraints to produce PCB blueprints. The PCBs are fabricated
    using automated\r\nstandard manufacturing services with LEDs embedded on them.
    Finally, the fabricated PCBs\r\nare cut along the contour and folded onto a 3D-printed
    support. The 3D lighting display is\r\nthen controlled to display complex surface
    light patterns.\r\nCreating 3D shapes through folding is only possible if their
    planar configuration, called ”unfolding” exists without any distortion or overlap.
    Existing methods often permit distortion\r\nor require multiple patches, which
    are unsuitable for fabrication pipelines that rely on folding\r\nnon-stretchable
    materials. We reinforce such fabrication pipelines by providing a geometric\r\nrelaxation
    to the problem, where the input shape is modified to admit overlap-free unfolding.\r\nThe
    second fabrication pipeline extends shape morphing to soft robotics by emulating
    nature’s\r\nblueprint of distributed actuation. Inspired by vertebrates, we build
    musculoskeletal robots\r\nusing modular active actuators, employing Liquid Crystal
    Elastomers (LCEs) as shrinkable\r\nartificial muscles integrated with 3D-printed
    bones. The chemical composition of LCEs is\r\naltered to enable untethered actuation
    through infrared radiation, allowing active control of\r\nindividual muscles and
    their corresponding bones. The combined motion of individual bones\r\ndefines
    the robot’s overall shape and functionality. Our proposed system significantly
    expands\r\nboth the design and control spaces of soft robots, which we harness
    using our computational\r\ndesign tools. We build several physical robots that
    exhibit complex shape morphing and varied\r\nterrain navigation, showcasing the
    versatility of our pipeline.\r\nThis thesis explores applications ranging from
    intricate light patterns displayed on 3D shapes\r\nformed by folding rigid PCBs
    to untethered robots that use contractile muscles to exhibit\r\nshape morphing
    and locomotion. Through these examples, the thesis highlights how computational
    design and distributed actuation, integrated with novel materials, can transform\r\npassive
    structures into functional prototypes."
acknowledgement: "Financial support was provided by the European Research Council
  (ERC) under grant agreement No 715767 - MATERIALIZABLE: Intelligent fabrication-oriented
  Computational Design\r\nand Modeling that I gratefully acknowledge.\r\n"
alternative_title:
- ISTA Thesis
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Manas
  full_name: Bhargava, Manas
  id: FF8FA64C-AA6A-11E9-99AD-50D4E5697425
  last_name: Bhargava
  orcid: 0009-0007-6138-6890
citation:
  ama: 'Bhargava M. Design and control of deformable structures: From PCB lighting
    displays to elastomer robots. 2025. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276">10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276</a>'
  apa: 'Bhargava, M. (2025). <i>Design and control of deformable structures: From
    PCB lighting displays to elastomer robots</i>. Institute of Science and Technology
    Austria. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276">https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276</a>'
  chicago: 'Bhargava, Manas. “Design and Control of Deformable Structures: From PCB
    Lighting Displays to Elastomer Robots.” Institute of Science and Technology Austria,
    2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276">https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276</a>.'
  ieee: 'M. Bhargava, “Design and control of deformable structures: From PCB lighting
    displays to elastomer robots,” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.'
  ista: 'Bhargava M. 2025. Design and control of deformable structures: From PCB lighting
    displays to elastomer robots. Institute of Science and Technology Austria.'
  mla: 'Bhargava, Manas. <i>Design and Control of Deformable Structures: From PCB
    Lighting Displays to Elastomer Robots</i>. Institute of Science and Technology
    Austria, 2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276">10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276</a>.'
  short: 'M. Bhargava, Design and Control of Deformable Structures: From PCB Lighting
    Displays to Elastomer Robots, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.'
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2025-09-02T14:48:39Z
date_published: 2025-09-02T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-07T11:50:10Z
day: '02'
ddc:
- '000'
degree_awarded: PhD
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: BeBi
doi: 10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276
ec_funded: 1
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: 5baf8ca46c86a94fc8380ff1007aabd4
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: mbhargav
  date_created: 2025-09-03T10:40:52Z
  date_updated: 2025-09-03T10:40:52Z
  file_id: '20284'
  file_name: 2025-Bhargava-Manas-Thesis.pdf
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  creator: mbhargav
  date_created: 2025-09-03T13:18:05Z
  date_updated: 2025-09-04T09:22:29Z
  file_id: '20285'
  file_name: manas_phd_thesis_source_files.zip
  file_size: 198831315
  relation: source_file
file_date_updated: 2025-09-04T09:22:29Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
month: '09'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: '96'
project:
- _id: 24F9549A-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  call_identifier: H2020
  grant_number: '715767'
  name: 'MATERIALIZABLE: Intelligent fabrication-oriented Computational Design and
    Modeling'
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - 978-3-99078-065-7
  issn:
  - 2663-337X
publication_status: published
publisher: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
related_material:
  record:
  - id: '13049'
    relation: part_of_dissertation
    status: public
  - id: '18565'
    relation: part_of_dissertation
    status: public
  - id: '20286'
    relation: part_of_dissertation
    status: public
status: public
supervisor:
- first_name: Bernd
  full_name: Bickel, Bernd
  id: 49876194-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Bickel
  orcid: 0000-0001-6511-9385
title: 'Design and control of deformable structures: From PCB lighting displays to
  elastomer robots'
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by_nc.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
  short: CC BY-NC (4.0)
type: dissertation
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
year: '2025'
...