Research at the Architected Intelligent Matter (A.I.M.) Laboratory focuses on the understanding and design of architected structures to achieve unprecedented capabilities. Utilizing a fundamental understanding of mechanics, geometry and material-based phenomena, we aim to control the physical characteristics and/or the shape of our meta-materials.
While we are an experimental mechanics group, we realize that computational algorithms are an essential part in the understanding and rational design of complex structures. Our research pipeline largely follows the cyclic process shown above, we experimentally provide an understanding of the constituent material or structure. We then propose abstractions of these behaviors to enable us to conduct numerical simulations. With customized reduced-order models, we are able to rapidly converge at optimized solutions which we can then fabricate and test.
As a goal, we envision the lab to provide an understanding of template-based programmable meta-materials whose properties can be controlled on-demand in an energy efficient manner. We aim to address a number of physical domains including mechanical, thermal, and fluids, over a wide range of length scales.