Proyecto I+D
Project PID2022-141957OA-C22
Multiphysics-informed design of tunable smart materials
Of National scope. With a Public character. It has been granted under a regime of Competitive.
In collaboration with other entities. Role: Member
The sub-project Multiphysics-informed design of tuneable smart materials within the coordinated project POTENTIAL focuses on the development of a computational environment embedding cutting-edge topology optimisation techniques, machine learning, dimensionality reduction and reduced order modelling techniques, effproperties to those available in nature, such as ultrahigh stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio, or unusual properties, such as a negative Poissons ratio, a negative coefficient of thermal expansion. Recent metamaterial designs have been able to exhibit programmable shape transformations and tuneable mechanical properties. Others have shown excellent energy absorption properties. Additionally, biomechanical applications have in parallel emerged, and new metamaterials have been designed as scaffolds to promote bone cell formation. This project aims to take a metamaterial approach towards the design of soft machines. However, this inevitably leads to an increase in the number of degrees of freedom in deformation and the available geometrical parameters. Although this makes design considerably more challenging, it also offers exciting opportunities to embed robots with sensing, actuating, and interactive functionalities, not accessible through conventional approaches. The challenge however, inherent to the across scales interactions (from micro/meso to macro) and the multi-physic nature of multi-functional materials, prevents also here to advocate for just a unidisc
