A Mechanical Neural Network – A New Type Of Material That Can Learn And Change Its Physical Properties To Create Adaptable, Strong Structures
A new type of material can learn and improve its ability to deal with unexpected forces thanks to a unique lattice structure with connections of variable stiffness, as described in a new paper by my colleagues and me.
Architected materials – like this 3D lattice – get their properties not from what they are made out of, but from their structure. Ryan Lee, CC BY-ND
The new material is a type of architected material, which gets its properties mainly from the geometry and specific traits of its design rather than what it is made out of. Take hook-and-loop fabric closures like Velcro, for example. It doesn’t matter whether it is made from cotton, plastic or any other substance. As long as one side is a fabric with stiff hooks and the other side has fluffy loops, the material will have the stic...