Soft to solid: unraveling the mechanics of discrete textile networks

Draped over the body or stretched across tent poles to provide shelter, textiles are typically soft, lightweight, versatile materials that perform in tensile applications ranging from the every day to the extreme. Their inherent softness can be explained by the slenderness of the fibers they are typically made from, which bend easily due to their high aspect ratio. Here we investigate how introducing discrete, rigid elements in otherwise soft, 2D materials affects fundamental mechanical properties, giving way to a host of emergent behaviors and possibilities for textiles and beyond.