Experimental analysis on metamaterials boundary layers by means of a pantographic structure under large deformations

In this work, the dynamical behavior of a pantographic structure undergoing large deformations is analyzed. A harmonic force is applied on the structure, while its motion in time is recorded by means of a high-speed camera system. The resulting displacement field is obtained via the digital image correlation (DIC) method for the whole domain. A parametric study with respect to the amplitude of the imposed force exhibits the appearance of non-linear effects in the system response as well as the presence of a so-called boundary layer region. Such geometric nonlinearities are of paramount interest for studying the accuracy of a potential computational model. Boundary layers are known to be effected by the microstructure, but their roles in the system response are yet to be comprehended. The experimental results obtained in this work may be used as a benchmark case in modeling metamaterials.