Functional Inference of Complex Anatomical Tendinous Networks at a Macroscopic Scale via Sparse Experimentation
Figure 2
Models are evolved from the primordial mesh of strings in (a).
Length of each string behaves as a topological and parametric design variable. For the informative equilibrium configurations that the mesh observes, if some strings remain slack, they are eliminated from the topology. Only taut strings in some or all configurations get retained. Length and cross sections of strings are evolved as design variables. (b) Each taut string in the parent mesh is modeled as a large deformation truss finite element. Slack strings do not support the external loads. Analysis performed is geometrically (for synthetic targets) and materially (for the finger extensor mechanism) nonlinear and equilibrium is achieved through efficient, quadratically convergent Newton-Raphson iterations.