Future active metamaterials for reconfigurable structural applications require fast, untethered, reversible, and reprogrammable (multimodal) transformability with shape locking. Herein, we aim to construct and demonstrate a magneto-thermomechanical tool that enables a single material system to transform with untethered, reversible, low-powered reprogrammable deformations and shape locking via the application of magneto-thermomechanically triggered prestress on a shape memory polymer and structural instability with asymmetric magnetic torque. We demonstrate the mutual assistance of two physics concepts - magnetic control combined with the thermomechanical behavior of shape memory polymers, without requiring new materials synthesis and high-power energy for reprogramming. Our approach can open a new path of active metamaterials, flexible yet stiff soft robots, and multimodal morphing structures, where we can design them in reversible and reprogrammable ways.
@article{arxiv.2207.03177,
title = {Magneto-thermomechanically triggered active mechanical metamaterials -- untethered, reversible, reprogrammable transformations with shape locking},
author = {Bihui Zou and Zihe Liang and Zhiming Cui and Kai Xiao and Shuang Shao and Jaehyung Ju},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2207.03177},
year = {2023}
}