Mechanical metamaterials
Designing and manufacturing different types of hard and soft mechanical metamaterials is Reza's other research interest. For instance, he developed of a novel approach to extend the available printing strategies of a SLM 3D-printer which made it possible to create Pentamode mechanical meta-materials with optimal energy distribution. The paper was published in Applied Physics Letters and an interview was published in Materials Research Society (MRS) Magazine. He also developed soft mechanical meta-materials with random/gradient distribution of auxetic and conventional cells. Patterned randomness and gradient allowed for independent tailoring of the elastic properties and covering a broad area of the elastic modulus-Poisson's ratio plane. He also developed shape-shifting origami structures with pre-described in-plane and out-of-plane deformations.
(b) Gradient auxetic mechanical metamaterials designed to create predescribed shape deformations [Read paper]
