A mechanical metamaterial with reprogrammable logical functions

Mei, Tie; Meng, Zhiqiang; Zhao, Kejie; Chen, Chang

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27608-7

Cited by 115 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Exploiting structural instability in multipurpose applications is a recent endeavor; [9,10,15,16,18,[46][47][48] however, its utilization in electro-mechanical sensing devices has hardly been investigated. Numerous incidents are translated into deformation/displacement (e.g., fault in earth's crust, crack in dams, and water level variation) and tracking these incidents with minimum stored data can be an advantage (Figure 7b).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Programming Multistable Metamaterials to Discover Latent Functionalities

et al. 2022

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Using multistable mechanical metamaterials to develop deployable structures, electrical devices, and mechanical memories raises two unanswered questions. First, can mechanical instability be programmed to design sensors and memory devices? Second, how can mechanical properties be tuned at the post‐fabrication stage via external stimuli? Answering these questions requires a thorough understanding of the snapping sequences and variations of the elastic energy in multistable metamaterials. The mechanics of deformation sequences and continuous force/energy–displacement curves are comprehensively unveiled here. A 1D array, that is chain, of bistable cells is studied to explore instability‐induced energy release and snapping sequences under one external mechanical stimulus. This method offers an insight into the programmability of multistable chains, which is exploited to fabricate a mechanical sensor/memory with sampling (analog to digital‐A/D) and data reconstruction (digital to analog‐D/A) functionalities operating based on the correlation between the deformation sequence and the mechanical input. The findings offer a new paradigm for developing programmable high‐capacity read–write mechanical memories regardless of thei size scale. Furthermore, exotic mechanical properties can be tuned by harnessing the attained programmability of multistable chains. In this respect, a transversely multistable mechanical metamaterial with tensegrity‐like bistable cells is designed to showcase the tunability of chirality.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Programming Multistable Metamaterials to Discover Latent Functionalities

et al. 2022

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“…[10,36] Moreover, most existing mechanical computation systems with stress inputs lack electrical outputs, limiting their communication with electrical devices. [26] Although simple combinations of conductive materials and mechanical metamaterials for computations have been proposed, [26,27] new methods for combining these materials to achieve more complex and flexible functionalities are still lacking.…”

Section: Doi: 101002/aisy202200374mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical System with Soft Modules and Rigid Frames Realizing Logic Gates and Computation

Zhang

Zheng

Zhuang

et al. 2023

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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Mechanical computation outperforms electrical computation in applications under extreme conditions. Currently, logic gates can be constructed with mechanical metamaterials, but this may require complex architectures and computing rules, and more complex computations based on these gates are considerably more challenging. Mechanical computing systems with multistability cannot return to their initial stable states, which are hardly reused. Moreover, providing digital electrical outputs is useful to communicate with electrical systems. To address these issues, mechanical metamaterials can be integrated in a manner that is similar to a circuit network with a powerful computing capability. Herein, a general method that combines soft convex and concave modules, rigid frames, and conductive materials in one system to realize logic gates, addition, and multiplication is proposed. The soft modules make or break electrical connections with adjacent frames due to the presence or absence of compressive forces, operating as open and closed switches. Connections and disconnections between modules and frames can be demonstrated with conductive materials and LEDs. The proposed mechanism is simple, versatile, and reusable, allowing soft mechanical metamaterial units to carry out complex computations. The approach may improve the capabilities of soft robots, robotic materials, and microelectromechanical systems.

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“…For example, the FDMprinted structures with bistable flexure mechanisms can be assembled as the logic systems to achieve the functionality of mechanical computation. [327][328][329] Some complex metamaterials (2D to 3D) structures can also be fabricated by 3D printing and can respond to the external input. [330][331][332] In summary, 3D printing provides a promising paradigm for realizing the whole process from design to fabrication and enables topologic optimization.…”

Section: Computingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication and Functionality Integration Technologies for Small‐Scale Soft Robots

Zhang

Qin

et al. 2022

Advanced Materials

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Small‐scale soft robots are attracting increasing interest for visible and potential applications owing to their safety and tolerance resulting from their intrinsic soft bodies or compliant structures. However, it is not sufficient that the soft bodies merely provide support or system protection. More importantly, to meet the increasing demands of controllable operation and real‐time feedback in unstructured/complicated scenarios, these robots are required to perform simplex and multimodal functionalities for sensing, communicating, and interacting with external environments during large or dynamic deformation with the risk of mismatch or delamination. Challenges are encountered during fabrication and integration, including the selection and fabrication of composite/materials and structures, integration of active/passive functional modules with robust interfaces, particularly with highly deformable soft/stretchable bodies. Here, methods and strategies of fabricating structural soft bodies and integrating them with functional modules for developing small‐scale soft robots are investigated. Utilizing templating, 3D printing, transfer printing, and swelling, small‐scale soft robots can be endowed with several perceptual capabilities corresponding to diverse stimulus, such as light, heat, magnetism, and force. The integration of sensing and functionalities effectively enhances the agility, adaptability, and universality of soft robots when applied in various fields, including smart manufacturing, medical surgery, biomimetics, and other interdisciplinary sciences.

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A mechanical metamaterial with reprogrammable logical functions

Cited by 115 publications

References 39 publications

Programming Multistable Metamaterials to Discover Latent Functionalities

Programming Multistable Metamaterials to Discover Latent Functionalities

Mechanical System with Soft Modules and Rigid Frames Realizing Logic Gates and Computation

Fabrication and Functionality Integration Technologies for Small‐Scale Soft Robots

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