Mechanics of structured plates and shells
Katia Bertoldi (Harvard University)
SES Medal Symposium in honor of D.J. Steigmann
Tue 4:20 - 5:40
MacMillan 115
While engineering applications often use stiff and almost rigid materials, materials capable of undergoing large deformations like elastomers and gels are ubiquitous in daily life and nature. An exciting field of engineering is emerging that uses these compliant materials to design a new class of active devices, such as actuators, adaptive optical systems and self-regulating fluidics. We exploit the non-linear behavior of highly deformable structures to create a new class of adaptive materials that use large deformations and dramatic geometric rearrangements induced by instabilities to rapidly tune their functionalities. Topological changes associated with instabilities are intentionally pursued as an effective approach for tuning the macroscopic response of the structure. Possible and exciting applications include the design of novel materials with adaptive wave propagation characteristics, reversible encapsulation systems and materials with unusual properties such as negative Poisson’s ratio.