Inter materials and structures mechanoperception for self learning

Introduction

Forests, insect swarms, and bones during remodeling are striking examples of biological systems whose elements possess the ability to sense and exchange signals. These signals are exploited to adapt to evolving environmental conditions and to learn how to improve performance, in some cases without centralized control.

Research Questions

Can materials and structures be enabled with the same capabilities? How can we build devices that exchange information on a mechanistic basis and exploit these to learn how to optimally react to external stimuli? To what extent can materials and structures be endowed with active inference processes that mimic brain activities?

Project Aim

Finding answers to these questions is the challenge of IMMENSE, with the overarching aim to create materials and structures able to sense, exchange signals, interpret and compare them, thus achieving self-learning and self-adaptation. This will be a major step toward the design of sentient materials and structures.

Methodology

Solid and structural mechanics, solid-fluid interaction, and smart architected metamaterials, coupled with multi-physics phenomena at micro and macro scales, will be combined to implement sensing and signal control abilities on mechanistic bases.

Innovative Tools

Complex dynamic responses of oscillator arrays, coupled with physical “in materia” computing replicating classification and learning processes, will be innovative tools designed to implement learning and reacting abilities.

Experimental Approach

Experiments will be performed at micro and meso scales on “ad hoc” designed proof of principle prototypes to obtain evidence of sentient materials and structures.

Future Applications

IMMENSE will set the stage for a new class of materials and structures implemented with local, decentralized sensing, monitoring, and reacting abilities. This will open up a variety of new applications, including:

• Local self-healing of construction materials
• Biomedical prostheses
• New monitoring and control of industrial appliances
• Advanced unmanned vehicles and satellites