The study initiated with the idea of a lightweight structure which can serve as a shadow device and which locally changes its transparency due to its inherent thermoresponsive attributes.
The shell is made of fibre reinforced composite materials and exhibits gradient mechanical properties due to material distribution. More plies are laid up where more stresses occur and the fibre orientation can optimally follow the stress vectors.
therefore this exercise tries to demonstrate the gradient yet seamless material, mechanical, optical effects through structural analysis. Soft dynamic materials are arranged in areas with less stress concentrations while fibre composites are laid up at the edges.
