Kagome plate structures for actuation

A class of planar, pin-jointed truss structures based on the ancient Kagome basket weave pattern with exceptional characteristics for actuation has been identified. Its in-plane stiffness is isotropic and has optimal weight among planar trusses for specified stiffness or strength. The version with welded joints resists plastic yielding and buckling, while storing minimal energy upon truss bending during actuation. Two plate structures are considered which employ the planar Kagome truss as the actuation plane. It is shown that these plates can be actuated with minimal internal resistance to achieve a wide range of shapes, while also sustaining large loads through their isotropic bending/stretching stiffness, and their excellent resistance to yielding/buckling.