Mechanics-based simulation of textiles

Textiles have a myriad of uses in modern life, from clothing to filters to ship sails, and are also promising candidates for use in next-generation soft robotic devices. Here, we develop a high-performance code for simulating textiles at the level of individual yarns. Each yarn is represented using a spline basis and is simulated using Lagrangian dynamics to take into account stretching, bending, friction, and contact. After calibrating physical parameters for an individual yarn, we demonstrate that our code can make quantitative predictions about the stress–strain responses of macroscopic textile samples. These simulations therefore form the foundation of a systematic analysis of the macroscopic properties of textiles in terms of yarn topology and mechanics.