We are actively studying how we can leverage principles of bioinspiration to design materials and structures with improved and tunable mechanical response at different scales. Examples include three-dimensional woven and intertwined materials, entangled materials as well as topologically interlocked plates and shells. We are developing in-house finite element and discrete element methods to model these materials and structures, often involving friction, damage and inelasticity.
![](https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lmd/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/theme-3-mechanics-of-bioinspired-architected-materials-1024x542.png)