We have created a soft mechanical metamaterial with flexible conductive polymer networks. In our article we
We talk about how you can program materials.Ryan Harn, James F. Will Assistant Professor of Career Development, Penn State
Human thought processes are based on laws, Harn notes, that are similar to the Boolean logic of mathematics. This approach uses binary characters to process information.
Soft materials created by the authors of the newworks think in a similar way: they use the reconfiguration of conductive polymer networks. Using a low voltage input for materials, the authors created a method for reacting to what is happening around them for a metamaterial.
The type of logic Harn and his team use goes beyond purely mechanical logic, which uses a binary combination of bistable switches.
In order to process all the logic elements, you need to combine an electrical polymer network with a soft, deformable material.
The combination of electrical and mechanical signals allows the material to move in the desired direction.
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