Bio-Inspired Hierarchical MetaMaterials

The technological development of a new class of bioinspired mechanical metamaterials – artificially designed materials with properties not found in nature – is the aim of the EU-funded BOHEME project. Drawing on research from various disciplines (from biology and mathematics to ocean engineering and materials science), it is assuming that the working principle behind metamaterials is already exploited in nature and that through evolution this has led to optimised designs for impact damping. BOHEME will take a disruptive approach for applications over various wavelength scales, from non-destructive testing to noise reduction to low-frequency vibration control (including seismic) to coastal protection or energy harvesting from ocean waves.