Smart Materials
Using insights from geometry and physical simulation, we can alter the behavior of materials to meet functional goals.
- Project Summary
- Using insights from geometry and physical simulation, we can alter the behavior of materials to meet functional goals. For instance, we can cut slits into a solid, inextensible sheet of material to allow it to expand, and then by carefully designing these cuts, we can ensure the sheet pops into the curved surface of our choice when it is stretched. Or, we can design fine-scale microstructure geometry to create a 3D printed object that deforms in useful or surprising ways when forces are applied.
This approach to tailoring materials, known as metamaterial design, can enable exciting new fabrication methods and produce new classes of lightweight, robust designs. This project seeks to develop computational techniques and tools such as efficient PDE solvers and shape optimization algorithms to advance metamaterial research on several fronts.