Department of Mechanical Engineering Spring Virtual Seminar Series: Shu Yang

Description

Shu Yang, a professor of materials science and engineering and of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, will give a talk entitled "Programming Intelligence through Geometry, Topology, and Anisotropy" as part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Spring Virtual Seminar Series.

Abstract:

Programmable shape-shifting materials can take different physical forms to achieve multifunctionality in a dynamic and controllable manner. By introducing holes and cuts in 2D sheets macroscopically, we demonstrate dramatic shape change and super-conformability via expanding or collapsing of the hole arrays without deforming individual lattice units. When choosing the cuts and geometry correctly, we show folding into the third dimension, known as kirigami. We explore their potential applications in water harvesting, super-stretchable and shape conformable medical devices, as well as bioinspired robotics. We then take geometry to nano- and microscales by programming anisotropy in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) in the forms of reversibly deformable films, fibers, and droplets. Through inverse engineering, that is pre-programming inhomogeneous local deformations in LCEs, we show shape morphing into arbitrary 3D shapes. By incorporating 1D and 2D nanomaterials in LCEs, we demonstrate photo- and electrothermally responsive tendon-like actuators and light-reprogrammable shapes.