Design and manufacturing of 4D metamaterials based on printed structures with embedded elements of smart materials (4META)

This project is focused on a development of design and manufacturing of 4D metamaterials with embedded smart material elements for energy harvesting, sensing and actuating purposes. Mainly characterization of individual multi-domain structure properties is an essential part of the project. The metamaterial consists of individual building blocks or patterns which could be periodically repeated to final structure. The novel 4D metamaterial is based on innovative tunable mechanical structures which exploits smart materials in form of Shape Memory Alloys/Polymers and Piezoelectric to provide artificial behavior in case of mechanical and electrical responses. In this project a novel manufacturing process of additive technology will be implemented for build-up of structure which does not only print a mechanical structure but also provides layout of building blocks with embedded elements of smart materials. It provides a complex artificial structure with intentionally changeable properties and shape; both could be change with loads and controlled on the base of external inputs.