Soft magnetoactive materials can change their properties, shapes, and functions when activated by a magnetic field. These reconfigurable soft materials hold great potential for a large variety of applications, from sensing devices to energy harvesting, noise and vibration mitigation, and soft robotics. However, the multiphysics behavior of the new materials is extremely complex, and the project is specifically addressing this with a specific focus on the instability or failure prediction of the soft materials. Material failure is historically considered to be a negative phenomenon, which needs to be avoided in classical material engineering. In the project, we attempt to turn failure into functionalities by accessing the unusual behavior frequently exhibited by the material in the extreme regime. Highly ordered microstructures are the origin of multiscale magneto-mechanical instabilities, opening rich opportunities to create switchable MAEs with instability-induced complex microstructures and functions. Here, we put forward the concept of a novel design of MAEs capable of operating at low magnetic fields. The new soft magnetoactive composites will combine the peculiarity of MAE magneto-mechanics with neatly designed architected microstructures. Moreover, exploring the architected MAE in unstable domains may lead us to potential discoveries of new multiphysics phenomena.
The fundamental knowledge gained within the project may be used in the design and realization of new controllable soft reconfigurable matter. We envision that the new self-sensing, self-healing, ultra-fast transformable materials will lead to disruptive technologies such as soft machines capable of sensing, healing, morphing, and adapting to the environment and interacting with humans in unprecedented ways. Moreover, the availability of these materials may enable the development of fully functional prosthetic limbs – with sensing and haptic feedback abilities, – thus, taking the field of rehabilitation and health care to new levels and providing the technological platform for new affordable prosthetic devices. Furthermore, these devices, together with architected materials, can be potentially fabricated through 3D printing, opening the avenue for rapidly designing personal-specific adaptive orthopedic prosthetics devices. The new soft reconfigurable materials may impact the fast-growing field of Soft Robotics, replacing the classical "rigid robotics'' with its soft, haptic, and adaptive interface.
