Stiffness reprogrammable magnetorheological metamaterials inspired by the spine for multi-bit visual mechanical information processing

Embedding information processing into mechanical metamaterials is
conducive to constructing multifunctional mechanical systems, which have
unique advantages to provide information processing platforms in extreme
environments. However, achieving high-density, reprogrammable, and
visually readable information processing in most mechanical metamaterials
remains a challenge. Here, we report a multi-bit programming spine
structure strategy to create a magnetorheological metamaterial with
high-density, reprogrammable, and visually readable information encoding
capacities. Inspired by spine features, the magnetorheological spine
beams, exhibiting substantial stiffness variation by bi-stable transition,
are meticulously conceived as the stiffness reprogrammable
magnetorheological metamaterial (SRMM). The SRMM exhibits a large
stiffness conversion capability (40-fold) and high-density information
encoding performance (10-bit). Coupling with the mechanoluminescent
materials, the mechanical information achieves visualization conveniently,
which is attributed to the conversion of the stiffness data into optical
signals through optical energy level transitions. Such stiffness-based
magnetorheological metamaterial offers expansive information encoding
spaces, stable operation capabilities, and convenient readout approaches,
advancing mechanical information processing system design for extreme
environments.