Zoey Davidson

Self-assembly is a ubiquitous process that can generate complex and functional structures via local interactions among a large set of simpler components. The ability to program the self-assembly pathway of component sets elucidates fundamental physics and enables alternative competitive fabrication technologies. Reprogrammability offers further opportunities for tuning structural and material properties but requires reversible selection from multistable self-assembling patterns, which remains a challenge. Here, we show statistical reprogramming of two-dimensional (2D), noncompact self-assembled structures by the dynamic confinement of orbitally shaken and magnetically repulsive millimeter-scale particles. Under a constant shaking regime, we control the rate of radius change of an assembly arena via moving hard boundaries and select among a finite set of self-assembled patterns repeatably and reversibly. By temporarily trapping particles in topologically identified stable states, we also demonstrate 2D reprogrammable stiffness and three-dimensional (3D) magnetic clutching of the self-assembled structures. Our reprogrammable system has prospective implications for the design of granular materials in a multitude of physical scales where out-of-equilibrium self-assembly can be realized with different numbers or types of particles. Our dynamic boundary regulation may also enable robust bottom-up control strategies for novel robotic assembly applications by designing more complex spatiotemporal interactions using mobile robots.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

2020

Culha, U., Davidson, Z. S., Mastrangeli, M., Sitti, M. Statistical reprogramming of macroscopic self-assembly with dynamic boundaries Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(21):11306-11313, 2020 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Twisting and untwisting of twisted nematic elastomers

Davidson, Z. S., Kapernaum, N., Fiene, J., Giesselmann, F., Sitti, M.

Physical Review Materials, 4(10):105601, 2020 (article)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

Davidson, Z. S., Kapernaum, N., Fiene, J., Giesselmann, F., Sitti, M. Twisting and untwisting of twisted nematic elastomers Physical Review Materials, 4(10):105601, 2020 (article)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

Bioinspired underwater locomotion of light-driven liquid crystal gels

Shahsavan, H., Aghakhani, A., Zeng, H., Guo, Y., Davidson, Z. S., Priimagi, A., Sitti, M.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(10):5125-5133, 2020 (article)

Abstract

Untethered dynamic shape programming and control of soft materials have significant applications in technologies such as soft robots, medical devices, organ-on-a-chip, and optical devices. Here, we present a solution to remotely actuate and move soft materials underwater in a fast, efficient, and controlled manner using photoresponsive liquid crystal gels (LCGs). LCG constructs with engineered molecular alignment show a low and sharp phase-transition temperature and experience considerable density reduction by light exposure, thereby allowing rapid and reversible shape changes. We demonstrate different modes of underwater locomotion, such as crawling, walking, jumping, and swimming, by localized and time-varying illumination of LCGs. The diverse locomotion modes of smart LCGs can provide a new toolbox for designing efficient light-fueled soft robots in fluid-immersed media.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Shahsavan, H., Aghakhani, A., Zeng, H., Guo, Y., Davidson, Z. S., Priimagi, A., Sitti, M. Bioinspired underwater locomotion of light-driven liquid crystal gels Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(10):5125-5133, 2020 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

2019

Precise control of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals alignment through surface topography

Guo, Y., Shahsavan, H., Davidson, Z., Sitti, M.

ACS applied materials \& interfaces, 11(39):36110-36117, ACS Publications, 2019 (article)

Project Page [BibTex]

2019

Guo, Y., Shahsavan, H., Davidson, Z., Sitti, M. Precise control of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals alignment through surface topography ACS applied materials \& interfaces, 11(39):36110-36117, ACS Publications, 2019 (article)

Project Page [BibTex]

Electromechanical actuation of dielectric liquid crystal elastomers for soft robotics

Davidson, Z., Shahsavan, H., Guo, Y., Hines, L., Xia, Y., Yang, S., Sitti, M.

Bulletin of the American Physical Society, APS, 2019 (article)

[BibTex]

Davidson, Z., Shahsavan, H., Guo, Y., Hines, L., Xia, Y., Yang, S., Sitti, M. Electromechanical actuation of dielectric liquid crystal elastomers for soft robotics Bulletin of the American Physical Society, APS, 2019 (article)

[BibTex]

Monolithic shape-programmable dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators

Davidson, Z. S., Shahsavan, H., Aghakhani, A., Guo, Y., Hines, L., Xia, Y., Yang, S., Sitti, M.

Science Advances, 5(11):eaay0855, 2019 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Davidson, Z. S., Shahsavan, H., Aghakhani, A., Guo, Y., Hines, L., Xia, Y., Yang, S., Sitti, M. Monolithic shape-programmable dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators Science Advances, 5(11):eaay0855, 2019 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Zoey Davidson

2021

Liquid crystal elastomer-based magnetic composite films for reconfigurable shape-morphing soft miniature machines

2021

Smart actuators: liquid crystal elastomer-based magnetic composite films for reconfigurable shape-morphing soft Miniature Machines (Adv. Mater. 8/2021)

2020

Statistical reprogramming of macroscopic self-assembly with dynamic boundaries

2020

Twisting and untwisting of twisted nematic elastomers

Bioinspired underwater locomotion of light-driven liquid crystal gels

2019

Precise control of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals alignment through surface topography

2019

Electromechanical actuation of dielectric liquid crystal elastomers for soft robotics

Monolithic shape-programmable dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators

Latest News

Links

Contact Us