Patent ID: 7582349

Claim:
A morphing cellular structure, comprising a group of unit cells with each unit cell having a cellular geometry, the group of unit cells formed of a first active material, where the first active material has a first state and a second state, and where each unit cell has a configuration where the configuration of each unit cell, while the first active material is in the first state, is different from the configuration of each unit cell while the first active material is in the second state, and where the first active material is responsive to a first actuation signal such that when the first actuation signal is actuated, the active material is deformed from the first state to the second state, thereby changing the configuration of each unit cell affected by the actuation of the first actuation signal and morphing the cellular structure, wherein the first actuation signal is a signal selected from a group consisting of a temperature change, redox reaction, pH change, electromagnetic field, chemical reaction, electric current, electric field, and magnetic field; and wherein the active material is deformable from both a first state to a second state and from a second state to a first state such that the deployment is a re-settable deployment where the active material is re-settable through an external reset signal, allowing for at least one additional deployment, the re-settable deformation being selected from a group of consisting of deforming from the first state to the second state upon receiving the first actuation signal and deforming from the second state to the first state when the first actuation signal is removed, and deforming from the first state to the second state when the first actuation signal is removed and deforming from the second state to the first state when the first actuation signal is received.