Recent decades have seen an exponential increase in the interest in highly deformable smart materials that use multi-field interactions for actuation. Magneto-rheological elastomers (MREs) are smart materials in which the mechanical and the magnetic properties are strongly coupled with each other. Externally applied magnetic fields lead to effects such as reversible magnetostriction and tuneable material stiffness. Dielectric elastomers or Electroactive polymers (EAPs) typically consist of a soft polymer sandwiched between two compliant electrodes. On the application of a potential difference, the electrostatic forces cause the polymer to deform thereby creating mechanical actuation. Alternatively keeping the charge constant, mechanical deformation of the polymer can be used to change the potential difference thereby making them useful for energy generation mechanisms. Both MREs and EAPs have found uses in a variety of engineering applications, such as variable stiffness actuators, vibration suppression by energy absorption, nonlinear diaphragms, wave energy generators, artificial muscles, haptic interfaces, compliant robotic components, and lenses with tuneable focal-lengths.

Modelling such complex materials with coupled field interactions is one of the fundamental issues in further development and large-scale industry adoption of these smart materials. Mathematical and computational methods coupled with novel experimentation techniques are employed in the research, development, testing, and evaluation of these systems.

The mathematical, computational, and experimental techniques introduced in this course will be rooted within the framework of Continuum Mechanics. As such the lectures will start with an overview of nonlinear Continuum Mechanics specialised for solids. Balance equations of mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics will be used to construct rational theories of nonlinear electro-mechanics and magneto-mechanics. A parallel but equivalent development using the variational formulation will also be done as it is necessary to analyse stability and to perform numerical computations. Computational techniques to solve this complex coupled and nonlinear electro-mechanical / magneto-mechanics set of equations for fields in the body as well as in the surrounding space will be discussed in detail. The course will also discuss the challenges and methods to efficiently manufacture particle filled MREs and capacitor type EAPs. Performing mechanical experiments on these composites is rather challenging and requires custom made equipment and innovative procedures.

The course is addressed to doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in mechanical, civil and aerospace engineering, material science, applied physics and applied mathematics; academic and industrial researchers, and practicing engineers.