  We synthesize geometrically tailorable anisotropic plates by combining button
shaped fish-scale like features on soft substrates, then lacing them with
high-stiffness strings. This creates a new type of biomimetic architectured
structure with multiple broken symmetries. First, the tendons and scales
together break the symmetry of the bending response between the concave and
convex curvature. Next, the weave pattern of the tendons further breaks
symmetry along the two directors of plates. The anisotropy is clearly evident
in 3-point bending experiments. Motivated by these experiments and the need for
design, we formulate the analytical energy-based model to quantify the
anisotropic elasticity and tailorable Poisson's ratio. The derived
architecture-property relationships can be used to design architected tendon
plates with desirable properties.

Soft Condensed Matter;Materials Science;Applied Physics