Inverse Design of Metainterfaces for Static Friction Control: Beyond the Hertzian Limit
Programming the static friction of mechanical interfaces is critical for soft robotics, haptics, and precision gripping. Static friction is governed by the real contact area, and standard rough surfaces exhibit a linear area-load scaling inherent to classical Archard and Greenwood-Williamson models, severely restricting their functional range. Here, we propose a framework for the inverse design of tribological metainterfaces engineered for programmable contact behaviors. By utilizing general axisymmetric asperities, we unlock nonlinear macroscopic responses unattainable by standard Hertzian contacts. To solve the inverse problem, we embed a fully differentiable contact mechanics engine wi...
| Authors | Jacopo Bilotto, Arnav Singhal, Joaquin Garcia-Suarez et al. |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cond-mat.soft |
| Published | 10 May 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 19 May 2026 |
Silytics shows public metadata from arXiv and links to the original. Information may be incomplete or out of date. Last refreshed 17 October 2026. Licenses and terms of the original apply to the work itself. Not financial, legal or professional advice.