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Laboratory for Advanced Materials & Bioinspiration
At the Laboratory for Advanced Materials & Bioinspiration we combine theoretical mechanics, numerical modeling, optimization, experimental mechanics, 3D printing and also a bit of biology (for inspiration) to explore new material designs. Our favorite challenge is to combine properties which are traditionally difficult or impossible to achieve simultaneously in traditional materials: For example, we make stiff and hard materials that can resist impacts, protective materials with hard surfaces but which are also flexible, or structures that are stiff under certain loading conditions, but which can easily change shape (“morph”) under others. These new materials "disrupt" traditional limitations in engineering materials, which makes them highly relevant for a variety of applications. Our research combines two powerful concepts: (1) Inspiration from natural materials (bone, seashells, teeth, skin, fish scales) and (2) Material architecture where hard materials, soft materials, weak interfaces and geometries are used in synergy to create and control desired mechanisms of deformation and fracture.