Shape-transforming Mechanical Metamaterials

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Can a rigid objet wrap around a ball without bending and stretching? Can a flat sheet be transformed into a three-dimensional device that can take any force applied to it? And can this 3D shape be reversibly ironed back to the original sheet without damage? In current materials, we find no answer. In contrast, products that can stretch and fold, pack and unpack, as well as change drastically volume and shape are sought in a manifold of applications. Deployable solar panels, for example, are just one of them, but many others exist across disciplines and length scale, all chasing the Holy Grail of material science and engineering: “materials that can shape-transform to work in diverse configurations”. ******The vision of this research program is to introduce the next generation of materials, extremely innovative because capable to shape transform themselves and do what current ones cannot. Three complementary tracks, propelled through a combined approach of theory, simulations and experiments on fabricated proof-of-concept prototypes, will unfold in the next five years to generate first-class shape transforming materials. The distinctive trait is their architecture, which stands out as patterns of slits and pores. The unified motif of this program is that by rationally designing their geometry, tessellation and overall architecture, we will elicit unprecedented functionalities in monolithic materials, enabling them to dynamically transform their shape, and properly tune their function to adapt to the environment. These capabilities will fill unmet demands currently existing in the Canadian industry producing energy storage systems, smart windows, stretchable electronics and flexible display screens, wearable devices, furniture assembly, and miniaturized optics for sensing and imaging.******The empowering force that will drive this program to innovation is a well-defined plan with complementary and interrelated tracks carried out by a pool of students joining forces cohesively in the next five years. Upon graduation, these students will have received cutting-edge know-how in multiscale mechanics, geometry tailoring, and structural optimization of architected materials, along with the relevant means to fabricate and test them. This is a blend of expertise that it is highly sought in the Canadian industry currently looking to solve long-standing problems of superflexibility, packing and reconfigurability, unmatched functionalities chased across discipline. The HQP trained in this program will pave the way to and ultimately usher in a new era of material innovation that will contribute to propel the formation of Canadian companies, with new jobs and economic profits for Canada.**