From Energy to Informatics through Design and Manufacturing of Mechanical Metamaterials by Prof. Miso Kim

Mechanical metamaterials are artificially engineered structures that can exhibit exotic properties—such as negative mass density and bulk
modulus—beyond what conventional materials can achieve. By transcending intrinsic material limits, they enable unprecedented physical
phenomena and open unexplored application domains, dramatically enhancing system performance. Bridging mechanical metamaterials
with practical functionalities in energy and information systems represents a paradigm shift linking fundamental mechanics with real-
world technological impact. Over the past decade, our group has explored how mechanical metamaterials can enhance energy- and
information-related functionalities through structural design and manufacturing innovations. In this seminar, I will share our research
efforts on developing mechanical metamaterials that manipulate and amplify mechanical wave energy to improve energy harvesting
performance, increase the sensitivity of self-powered sensors, and achieve efficient energy absorption. I will also discuss how these
concepts have been extended to acoustic systems—improving loudspeaker sound quality and power output—and further to informatics-
related functionalities including mechanical computing and memory. To realize these capabilities, we have advanced 3D printing–based
manufacturing strategies, particularly digital light processing (DLP)–based techniques, to fabricate mechanically robust and functionally
tunable architectures. I will also introduce our recent progress in functional ceramic 3D printing, the development of high-strength
photocurable resins, and structural optimization of voxelized light-curing patterns that enable functional mechanical metamaterials with
tailored performance.