MIT team demonstrates framework for 3D-printed adaptive materials

MIT researchers reported a mathematical framework that translates biological stimulus-response mechanisms into synthetic structures and fabrication instructions. The team used it to map humidity-driven behavior in pine cones and wheat awns, then combined elements to design and 3D-print a thermally twisting actuator. The researchers said testing showed the actuator performed as expected. The work, published in the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, links multiscale material descriptions to validated manufacturing specifications and machine-executable designs.