James McInerney

Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

James McInerney is a rising figure in the mechanics of metamaterials, whose work bridges origami engineering, topological mechanics, and the physics of living structures. His research centers on how hidden symmetries and geometric constraints govern rigidity, folding, and locomotion in complex systems. In his most cited work, "Hidden symmetries generate rigid folding mechanisms in periodic origami" (32 citations), McInerney overturned conventional design wisdom by showing that even asymmetric, periodic origami sheets exhibit non-trivial folding motions—a breakthrough for reconfigurable metamaterials. He further advanced the field by introducing Maxwell lattice topology to beam mechanics in "Observation of Floppy Flexural Modes in a 3D Polarized Maxwell Beam" (7 citations), revealing how topological protection can stabilize flexural modes in three dimensions. McInerney also explores locomotion in curved spaces via geometric phase (5 citations) and has developed an analytic graph theory approach to rigidity percolation in random tensegrities (2 citations), offering new tools for understanding biological and engineered cable-net structures. His work is notable for its mathematical elegance and its potential to reshape how we design deployable structures, soft robots, and adaptive materials.