Programmable responsive metamaterials for mechanical computing and robotics

Unconventional computing based on mechanical metamaterials has been of growing interest, including how such metamaterials might process information via autonomous interactions with their environment. Here we describe recent efforts to combine responsive materials with nonlinear mechanical metamaterials to achieve stimuli-responsive mechanical logic and computation. We also describe some key challenges and opportunities in the design and construction of these devices, including the lack of comprehensive computational tools, and the challenges associated with patterning multi-material mechanisms. Mechanical metamaterials have shown potential for processing information via autonomous environmental interactions. This Perspective summarizes recent efforts and challenges on integrating stimuli-responsive materials with mechanical metamaterials for mechanical computing, and explores the remaining challenges in the field.