Morphing and moving matter: mimicking nature - presented by Dr Mingchao Liu

Morphing and moving matter: mimicking nature

Dr Mingchao Liu

Dr Mingchao Liu

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Guo, K., Liu, M.*, Vella, D., Suresh, S.*, Hsia, K.J.* (2024). Dehydration-induced corrugated folding in Rhapis excelsa plant leaves. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 121 (17), e2320259121.
Morphing and moving matter: mimicking nature
Dr Mingchao Liu
Mingchao Liu
University of Birmingham

Nature's ingenuity serves as a profound source of inspiration for developing advanced materials and robotic systems. In this presentation, we explore how biological phenomena inform innovative engineering solutions, focusing on morphing structures and moving mechanisms, both grounded in our understanding of the underlaying mechanics principles. We highlight morphing structure designs inspired by the segmentation architectures found in biological organisms and the dehydration-induced corrugated folding observed in Rhapis excelsa leaves. These designs emphasize adaptability and efficient shape transformation, showcasing the potential for creating functional, morphable systems. Additionally, we examine moving mechanisms, featuring a snap-through enabled insect-scale jumping robot modeled after click beetles and a magnetic robot inspired by the coordinated movements of cilia. These systems prioritize effective modeling to achieve rapid, efficient motion and agile navigation in complex environments. By integrating principles from biology and mechanics, this presentation illustrates how natural strategies can lead to cutting-edge technological advancements, offering new perspectives on the design and modeling of intelligent systems.

References
  • 1.
    Guo, K., Liu, M.*, Vella, D., Suresh, S.*, Hsia, K.J.* (2024). Dehydration-induced corrugated folding in Rhapis excelsa plant leaves. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 121 (17), e2320259121.
  • 2.
    Huang, W., Yu, T.*, Hsia, K.J., Adriaenssens, S., Liu, M.* (2024). Integration of kinks and creases enables tunable folding in meta-ribbons. Matter, 7(9), 3007-3023.
  • 3.
    Yang, X., Liu, M.*, Zhang, B., Wang, Z., Chen, T., Zhou, Y., Chen, Y., Hsia, K.J., Wang, Y.* (2024). Hierarchical tessellation enables general 3D shape-morphing structures. Matter, 7, 603-619.
  • 4.
    Yang, X.†, Zhou, Y.†, Zhao, H., Huang, W., Wang, Y.*, Hsia, K.J.*, Liu, M.* (2023). Morphing matter: From mechanical principles to robotic applications. Soft Science, 3, 38.
  • 5.
    Wang, Y.†, Wang, Q.†, Liu, M., Qin, Y., Cheng, L., Bolmin, O., Alleyne, M., Wissa, A., Baughman, R.H., Vella, D., Tawfick, S.* (2023). Insect-scale jumping robots enabled by a dynamic buckling cascade. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 120(5), e2210651120.
  • 6.
    Huang, W., Liu, M.*, Hsia, K.J.* (2023). Modeling of magnetic cilia carpet robots using discrete differential geometry formulation. Extre. Mech. Lett., 59, 101967.
  • 7.
    Qin, L., Peng, H., Huang, X., Liu, M.*, Huang, W.* (2024). Modeling and simulation of dynamics in soft robotics: A review of numerical approaches. Current Robotics Reports, 5, 1-13.
Grants
    Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEP/V002198/1
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UKMMN Colloquia Series
UK Metamaterials Network
Cite as
M. Liu (2025, February 14), Morphing and moving matter: mimicking nature
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Listed seminar This seminar is open to all
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Video length 51:21
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