2025-04-09 09:00:00
The possibility of life surviving after a major impact is crucial for solar system missions with possible sample return, since impact is a dominant process in the solar system – how likely is it that the sample contains life? The related question is that…
The lungs are susceptible to injury resulting from behind armour blunt trauma (BABT). In this scenario, the deformation of the backface of the armour system impinges on the thoracic wall leading to elevated strain levels in the lungs. Within this context, the deformation of…
Deformable headforms can be used to make direct in situ intracranial strain measurements, however these physical models require significant refinement to ensure biofidelity. In particular, the boundary conditions of the brain-skull interface will influence the intracranial displacements and strains that develop due to a…
During training and operations, pilots endure high-magnitude repetitive loads that could cause acceleration of deterioration of the discs in the spine. Disc degeneration occurs when high stresses wear down the intervertebral discs in the spine, which can cause neck and back pain. Research is…
One of the most promising recent developments in materials science and engineering is the concept of exploiting “architecture” ─ the combination of topology and solid(s) distribution ─ as a means to generate materials with properties that are unattainable by traditional monolithic solids. Lightweight architected…
Lattice-based architected materials are gaining significant attention due to their open porosity and potential to offer multifunctional properties. Despite resembling truss-like networks, it has been shown that the geometry of the connections (joints) can play an important role in determining mechanical response. This potentially…
Lightweight architected materials, such as microlattices and foams, exhibit excellent energy absorption characteristics and are thus excellent candidates in protective structural components against impact or blast loads. It has been established that at a certain critical impact velocity, the compressive deformation of these material…
Heterogeneous structuring of ceramic composites has the potential to achieve properties and performances superior to their constituent materials, however they also come with a unique set of challenges. Among these are residual stresses that arise during processing due to the mismatch in thermal expansion…
Catastrophic brittle fracture is encountered in many engineering contexts, including transportation, infrastructure, and bio-medical devices, bringing with it significant societal costs. Now that tools such as 3D printers allow facile construction of structures with complex geometries and nearly arbitrary patterns, the potential exists for…
Desert sandgrouse, such as the Namaqua Sandgrouse, nest up to 30 km away from watering holes. Adult male desert sandgrouse have specially adapted feathers on their bellies that hold water, even during flight, allowing the birds to transport water back to the chicks at…
