Force decoupling is essential for high-fidelity proprioception sensing in robotic systems. However, existing approaches rely on bulky multi-axis transducers or complex signal post-processing, hindering response speed and scalability. This work presents a force sensor employing a compliant mechanism-inspired meta-structure to mechanically decouple multidirectional forces. The metamaterial structure redistributes internal stiffness to channel force components into desired sensing elements while attenuating off-axis loads. This geometry-driven approach achieves high directional sensitivity (...
3D printing offers unprecedented control over the design and fabrication of functional materials with complex architectures. In this project, we focus on developing textured ceramic structures using advanced 3D printing techniques. By engineering the resin formulation and printing process, we aim to align ceramic grains along designed orientations, enabling anisotropic properties tailored for transducer applications. The study will reveal the processing–structure–property correlations of textured ceramics, demonstrating how controlled grain orientation alignment and microstructural...
Acoustic transducers are essential for object localization and environmental sensing. Conventional transducers rely on piezoelectric crystals, whose acoustic-electric response is fixed by the crystal lattice’s inherent asymmetry and orientation. This results in static coupling behavior, necessitating bulky arrays of rigid elements with complex wiring and high computational demands for directional sensing. Here, we report a fundamentally new class of acoustic-electric coupling that emerges from topology-governed charge transport in 3D micro-architected piezoelectric metamaterials. Unlike...
This work pertains to the multi-objective inverse design of impact-resistant metamaterials under varying strain rates. Impact-resistant materials are desirable in a wide range of applications, such as sports, automobiles, military, and aircraft, to name a few. Existing literature deals with refining these structures by performing quasi-static finite element (FE) simulations and then verifying them experimentally, which is a time-consuming and expensive process. Moreover, beyond the low-velocity regime, quasi-static simulations are not representative of real-world dynamic...
Additive manufacturing has enabled the creation of new classes of architected meta-materials with exceptional structural and functional properties. Large-area projection micro-stereolithography (LAPµSL) has the potential for producing large volume metamaterials with millions of micro-scale unit cells and multiple orders of magnitude in length scales. Nevertheless, as part size grows with increasing number of unit cells, probability of finding embedded defects becomes significantly higher. Structural defects, such as internal cracks and non-uniformity embedded within networks of micro-scale...
BSAC is pleased to announce the outstanding paper and presentation award recipients from the Fall 2024 Research Review on September 18th. The Industrial Advisory Board was highly impressed by the quality of research, and the recipients’ work stood out in a competitive field.
We sincerely thank all the researchers who presented their innovative projects. These contributions are key to advancing research and fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
After careful evaluation, BSAC Industrial Members have voted, and we congratulate the Fall 2024 Best of BSAC honorees...
The rapid development of additive manufacturing technologies has enabled the fabrication of truss metamaterials, i.e., a novel class of lightweight-yet-strong materials with engineered complex hierarchical structures. Manipulating the architecture over chemical composition dramatically expands the achievable materials design space, allowing to largely control the mechanical response of metamaterials. Despite the great advances made in this area, designing three-dimensional (3D) truss metamaterials under complex or extreme conditions with programmable response is still a...
The orientation of fibrous fillers, induced by shear forces during extrusion, has been demonstrated to significantly enhance mechanical properties, electrical/thermal conductivity, microwave attenuation etc., albeit primarily in a two-dimensional (2D) x-y plane. In this study, we present a novel approach for achieving fiber alignment in a three-dimensional (3D) context, with an emphasis on the Z-direction, by utilizing embedded 3D printing techniques. This process involves the extrusion and suspension of composite inks within a viscoelastic gel medium, during which the...
