United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Christine Gregg

Neil Adam Gershenfeld

Kenneth C Cheung

Benjamin Jenett

Arno Rogg

Kenneth Chun-Wai Cheung

Greenfield Tran Trinh

Olivia Irene B Formoso

An androgynous fastener for autonomous robotic assembly of high performance structures is disclosed herein. The androgynous fastener is lightweight and facilitates assembly through simple actuation with large driver-positioning tolerance requirements. The androgynous fastener provides a high-strength, reversible mechanical connection and may be used in high strength-to-weight ratio structural systems, such as lattice structure systems. The androgynous fastener resists tensile and shear forces upon loading of the lattice structure system thereby ensuring that the struts of the lattice structure system govern the mechanical behavior of the system. The androgynous fastener eliminates building-block orientation requirements and allows assembly in all orthogonal build directions. The androgynous fastener may be captive in building-block structural elements thereby minimizing the logistical complexity of transporting additional fasteners. Integration of a plurality of the androgynous fasteners into a high performance, robotically managed, structural system reduces launch energy requirements, enables higher mission adaptivity and decreases system life-cycle costs.

Androgynous fastener

A method for the design, manufacture, and assembly of modular lattice structures composed of cuboctahedron unit cells.

Cuboctahedron lattice materials

Method for discrete assembly of cuboctahedron lattice materials

Growing community of inventors

Emerald Hills, CA, United States of America

Christine Gregg