{"id":431705,"date":"2023-01-02T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?post_type=selected&p=431705"},"modified":"2023-01-02T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T12:00:00","slug":"adapting-products-to-individual-needs-with-programmable-materials","status":"publish","type":"selected","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/selected\/adapting-products-to-individual-needs-with-programmable-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Adapting products to individual needs with programmable materials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Programmable Materials (CPM) developed materials that can be programmed in such a way that pressure on one point will result in changes across other regions. This could help reduce bedsores and provide optimal support for patients. In addition, they would create added value through product adaptation according to users’ needs, writes Fraunhofer in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why we write about this topic:<\/summary>

Programmable materials can be the basis for comfier chairs and beds. <\/p><\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n

Materials and microstructuring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, how can we program materials? \u201cEssentially, there are two key areas where adjustments can be made: the base material\u00a0\u2013 thermoplastic polymers in the case of mattresses and metallic alloys for other applications, including shape memory alloys\u00a0\u2013 and, more specifically, the microstructure,\u201d explains Dr. Heiko Andr\u00e4. He’s a spokesperson on the topic at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, one of the Fraunhofer CPM core institutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe microstructure of these metamaterials is made up of unit cells that consist of structural elements such as small beams and thin shells,\u201d he adds. In conventional materials – like foams – the size of each unit cell and its structural elements vary randomly. These elements can be defined in programmable materials. This programming can be made, for example, in such a way that pressure on a particular position will result in specific changes at other regions of the mattress, i.e., increase the size of the contact surface and provide optimal support to certain areas of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>
<\/div><\/div>
It only takes a 3D printer to make pneumatic muscles<\/div>
Laugh, walk, or type an e-mail, your muscles help you perform all of these and countless other actions. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Materials can also react to temperature or humidity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The change in shape that the material should exhibit and the stimuli to which it reacts – mechanical stress, heat, moisture, or even an electric or magnetic field – can be determined by the choice of material and its microstructure. \u201cThe programmable materials allow adapting products to the specific application or person so that they are more multifunctional than before. As such, they do not need to be swapped out as often. It is particularly interesting in the context of material saving and sustainability,\u201d says Franziska Wenz, deputy spokesperson on the topic at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, another core institute of Fraunhofer CPM. This can also create added value, whereby products are adapted to the individual needs of the users.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2084,"featured_media":515143,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":""},"categories":[34665],"tags":[34139,126316,129289],"location":[24456],"internal_archives":[],"class_list":["post-431705","selected","type-selected","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-fraunhofer-institute","tag-metamaterials","tag-programmable-materials","location-germany"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hand_5-e1662974406302.jpg","coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/mauro-mereu\/","display_name":"Mauro Mereu"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 years ago","modified":"Updated 3 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on January 2, 2023","modified":"Updated on January 2, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on January 2, 2023 1:00 pm","modified":"Updated on January 2, 2023 1:00 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","tax_additional":{"category":{"linked":["Health<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Health<\/span>"],"slug":"category","name":"Categories"},"post_tag":{"linked":["Fraunhofer Institute<\/a>","metamaterials<\/a>","programmable materials<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Fraunhofer Institute<\/span>","metamaterials<\/span>","programmable materials<\/span>"],"slug":"post_tag","name":"Tags"},"language":{"linked":["EN<\/a>"],"unlinked":["EN<\/span>"],"slug":"language","name":"Tags"},"post_translations":{"linked":[],"unlinked":[],"slug":"post_translations","name":""},"location":{"linked":["Germany<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Germany<\/span>"],"slug":"location","name":"Locations"},"internal_archives":{"linked":[],"unlinked":[],"slug":"internal_archives","name":"Internal Archives"}},"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/selected\/431705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/selected"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/selected"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/515143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431705"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=431705"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=431705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}