MechE Colloquium: From neurons and sunflowers to actuators and soft robots: the fascinating dynamics of active materials
Event details
| Date | 14.03.2023 |
| Hour | 12:00 › 13:00 |
| Speaker | Prof. Alain Goriely, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract: The world around us, both natural and man-made, is filled with structures that respond to external stimuli and adapt their internal structures to perform specific functions. For example, plants have the ability to sense changes in their environment, such as changes in gravity or light, and modify their shape accordingly to survive. During development, neurons respond to their surroundings by growing and connecting different parts of the brain. Additionally, the arms of octopuses and trunks of elephants are stunning examples of the versatility and beauty of responsive structures that inspire the development of soft robotics. In the field of engineering, liquid crystal elastomers can be designed to respond to light or heat, offering exciting opportunities for new devices and actuators.
In this talk, I will delve into the theory of material activation, with a focus on slender structures such as active filaments. I will propose a unified mathematical framework to model how multiple stimuli can be combined at the microscopic level to produce changes at the macroscopic level. This framework will allow us to uncover general principles for microstructure organization and activation. Furthermore, the feedback loop created by shape-shifting in response to external sources can produce complex dynamics similar to natural behaviors, providing elegant solutions to functional problems.
Biography: Alain Goriely is a mathematician and scientist with a broad range of interests in mathematical methods, mechanics, sciences, and engineering. He is particularly renowned for his contributions to the field of solid mechanics, both fundamental and applied, and for developing a mathematical theory of biological growth, which he explores in detail in his monograph "The Mathematics of Mechanics in Biological Growth". Goriely earned his PhD from the University of Brussels in 1994, where he later became a lecturer. In 1996, he joined the University of Arizona and established a research group within the highly regarded Program of Applied Mathematics. In 2010, he took up a position at the University of Oxford as the inaugural Statutory Professor of Mathematical Modelling and Fellow of St. Catherine's College. He currently serves as the Director of the Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. In addition to his academic work, Goriely is also active in scientific outreach, sharing his insights and findings on a variety of topics related to his research, including tendril perversion in plants, twining plants, umbilical cord knotting, whip cracking, the shape of seashells, and brain modelling. For his contributions to mathematics and sciences, Goriely was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022.
In this talk, I will delve into the theory of material activation, with a focus on slender structures such as active filaments. I will propose a unified mathematical framework to model how multiple stimuli can be combined at the microscopic level to produce changes at the macroscopic level. This framework will allow us to uncover general principles for microstructure organization and activation. Furthermore, the feedback loop created by shape-shifting in response to external sources can produce complex dynamics similar to natural behaviors, providing elegant solutions to functional problems.
Biography: Alain Goriely is a mathematician and scientist with a broad range of interests in mathematical methods, mechanics, sciences, and engineering. He is particularly renowned for his contributions to the field of solid mechanics, both fundamental and applied, and for developing a mathematical theory of biological growth, which he explores in detail in his monograph "The Mathematics of Mechanics in Biological Growth". Goriely earned his PhD from the University of Brussels in 1994, where he later became a lecturer. In 1996, he joined the University of Arizona and established a research group within the highly regarded Program of Applied Mathematics. In 2010, he took up a position at the University of Oxford as the inaugural Statutory Professor of Mathematical Modelling and Fellow of St. Catherine's College. He currently serves as the Director of the Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. In addition to his academic work, Goriely is also active in scientific outreach, sharing his insights and findings on a variety of topics related to his research, including tendril perversion in plants, twining plants, umbilical cord knotting, whip cracking, the shape of seashells, and brain modelling. For his contributions to mathematics and sciences, Goriely was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022.
Practical information
- General public
- Free