Universal Intelligent Elastronic Materials
Abstract
We propose to develop a new class of adaptive, intelligent materials by embedding circuits, sensors, and actuators into the microscale building blocks of these materials. Mechanics and electronics become inextricably intertwined, creating what we call Intelligent Elastronic Materials. Specifically, we will develop a single 2D ÓuniversalÓ sheet mixing active electronics and mechanics at the 100 micron scale that is capable of assembling into nearly arbitrary 3D shapes and sequences of shapes. Since the response of these elastronic materials to external deformations, chemical environment, or even location, can be programmed by the embedded electronics and actuators, the sheet can respond in manners that would be impossible for normal materials. We will develop and demonstrate the capabilities of elastronic materials via three projects: Project 1: Universal Sheets with Programmable Shape and Rigidity. We will design universal elastronic origami/kirigami sheets that can fold nearly any desired shape under the constraint that they are rigid enough to withstand significant forces from their surroundings. The universal designs will make use of discrete geometry techniques pioneered by the PIs as well as concepts from topological mechanics for inhibiting unwanted deformation modes. We will implement actuation first by laser targeting individual photovoltaics embedded on each tile to electronically actuate the hinges, and, in later iterations, via integrated CMOS circuits that can unlock specific photovoltaics/ hinges in response to pulsed illumination of the entire sheet. Project 2: Materials that think for themselves. Next, we will teach these elastronic sheets to intelligently fold themselves into configurations with desired properties (shape, rigidity, and dynamics) by developing distributed folding/machine learning algorithms and implementing them in the embedded CMOS. Such strategies will rely on several experimental and theoretical innovations including developing sensors for the sheet to detect misfolds, developing communication between the CMOS tiles, and developing progressively autonomous machine learning implementations. Project 3: ÒImpossibleÓ materials. Finally, we will demonstrate that actuated and active structures that possess internal sources of energy and can communicate electronically between distant nodes can be programmed to exhibit ÓimpossibleÓ behavior, i.e. violate fundamental assumptions underpinning passive mechanics. For example, these materials will be able to cycle through shape deformations, do work on their environment. They will sustain topologically protected modes of deformations that cannot be observed in passive materials. In addition, they will violate mechanical locality and transmit information between tiles at nearly the speed of light (instead of the speed of sound). Implementing these ÓimpossibleÓ properties will require developing a nonlinear and nonconservative theory of mechanics. This new class of materials will open a wide range of DODrelevant applications. For example, a universal adaptive material that can reconfigure itself in response to relevant information/stimuli can change its texture/frictional properties on demand or alter its electromagnetic or acoustic profile on the fly. Alternatively, sheets could be designed to detect unwanted chemicals and then initiate pulsatile sequences aimed at pumping these chemicals away or conformally wrapping the chemical source. Most importantly, these sheets will be capable of learning how to adapt and optimize their response, blurring the line between materials and intelligence. The potential impact of intelligent elastronic materials for DoDrelevant areas is both deep and broad.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 28, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310212
Entities
People
- Itai Cohen
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Cornell University
- United States Army