MIT Develops Design Framework for 3D Woven Metamaterials
MIT researchers have introduced a computational framework to design 3D woven metamaterials, enabling the creation of soft, compliant structures for applications in soft robotics and wearable devices.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a computational design framework for creating three-dimensional (3D) woven metamaterials. These materials, characterized by their internal microstructure rather than chemical composition, are designed to be soft, compliant, and deformable, making them suitable for applications in soft robotics, biomedical devices, and wearable technology.
The framework generates complex 3D woven structures composed of intertwined fibers that self-contact and entangle, providing unique mechanical properties. Carlos Portela, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professor and associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, emphasized the importance of soft materials in emerging engineering challenges, stating,
"Soft materials are required for emerging engineering challenges in areas such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, or even for wearable devices and functional textiles."
The research, published on January 26 in Nature Communications, includes open-source code that allows users to create designs tailored to specific specifications and generate files for 3D printing or simulation. The design rules, presented as an algorithm, provide a graph representation of the metamaterial, dictating fiber placement and connections within the structure. This approach enables the creation of materials with varying stiffness and the ability to change shape under stress.
Lead author Molly Carton, formerly a postdoctoral researcher in Portela's lab and now an assistant research professor at the University of Maryland, highlighted the framework's versatility:
"Because this framework allows these metamaterials to be tailored to be softer in one place and stiffer in another, or to change shape as they stretch, they can exhibit an exceptional range of behaviors that would be hard to design using conventional soft materials."
The simulation framework also predicts deformation responses, capturing complex phenomena such as self-contact within fibers and entanglement. This predictive capability allows for the design of materials that can resist deformation or control failure patterns. Portela noted the significance of tailoring failure in these materials, stating,
"The most exciting part was being able to tailor failure in these materials and design arbitrary combinations."
This work provides a tool for designing, printing, and simulating a new class of extensible and tough metamaterials, expanding the property space of woven structures. Carton expressed optimism about the framework's potential across various disciplines, saying,
"In releasing this framework as a software tool, our hope is that other researchers will explore what’s possible using woven lattices and find new ways to use this design flexibility."