Impact of Crystallographic Defect-Inspired Cut Patterns on Kirigami Mechanics

Kirigami, a traditional Japanese art of paper cutting, has become a powerful tool in engineering, enabling the transformation of flat sheets into complex three-dimensional structures. It has been applied to soft robotics, adaptive materials, and deployable systems due to its unique mechanical flexibility. While these applications highlight kirigami's versatility, a detailed understanding of how individual cut patterns influence mechanical behavior remains limited. In this work, I address this gap by conceptualizing specific variations in cut length and orientation to mimic crystallographic defects—specifically point, line, and planar defects. Through both simulations and experiments, we investigate how these defects shape the mechanical response. For example, point defects, created by modifying cut lengths, induce localized deformation effects that diminish with distance, while line defects divide the structure into two regions, producing asymmetric or symmetric deformation modes across the defect line. Planar defects generate global wrinkle patterns, introducing new possibilities for tunable designs. This study combines finite element simulations and experimental validation to provide deeper insights into the role of cut patterns in kirigami mechanics. The results contribute to the development of programmable, mechanically enhanced kirigami structures, opening new possibilities for programmable, mechanically adaptive systems.