Modular bistable mechanical metamaterials: A versatile platform for piezoelectric self-charging, sensing, and logic operations

Abstract

To advance intelligent materials that can perceive local environments and make autonomous decisions, multifunctionality is crucial. This includes power supply, environmental sensing, actuation-induced state changes, and information processing. The distinctive properties of bistable metamaterials—such as inter-well dynamics, snap-through instability, and non-volatility—provide an ideal foundation for multifunctionality. In this study, we introduce modular bistable mechanical metamaterials as a unified platform for piezoelectric self-charging, sensing, and logic operations. The bistable inter-well motion enhances the piezoelectric energy harvesting performances, making it an efficient power module for milliwatt commercial sensors. The snap-through instability is utilized to develop a highly sensitive, self-powered sensing module. Additionally, we outline a design methodology for a reprogrammable mechanical information processing system, using metamaterial power module as voltage current condensers and actuators of smaller-scale computing modules. This system can implement all combinational logic operations, demonstrated through basic logic gates, full adders, and full subtractors reprogrammed from the former. Our design prioritizes scalability and reusability, enabling mass production and flexible assembly. This multifunctional metamaterial, with its modular design and strategic utilization of bistable properties, demonstrates significant potential as a key component in intelligent systems or as an intelligent material itself, thereby advancing the development and deployment of advanced materials.