Deployment analysis and control of modularized structures

Deployment behavior of modularized structures is numerically analyzed from the viewpoint of synchronism. Elastic panels with single and double accordion folding patterns are examined as examples of modularized structures. Through computer simulations, it is shown that asynchronous deployments are caused by inertia forces. To improve the synchronism of the deployment, an autonomous distributed control method is introduced. Because the control method uses only local information, some advantages are expected ; parallel processing, flexible extensibility and fault-tolerance. The control rule is derived by the analogy of heat conduction. Stable characteristic of heat conduction implies stability of the control method. Furthermore physical sense of control parameters can be understood intuitively because the control method is based on real physical phenomenon. It is confirmed that the autonomous distributed control can improve the synchronism of the deployment.