A new computational design framework supports the creation of a new class of soft, compliant, and deformable metamaterials. Such materials are required in areas such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, or even for wearable devices and functional textiles.

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MIT researchers developed a computational design framework for creating soft, deformable metamaterials using 3D-printed woven structures. The framework uses algorithms to generate complex fiber patterns that can be tailored to stretch, deform, and fail in predictable ways. Applications include soft robotics, biomedical devices, wearable sensors, and functional textiles. The team released open-source code that allows users to design custom materials, simulate their behavior including self-contact and entanglement, and generate files for 3D printing.

3D-printed metamaterials that stretch and fail by design