Optimal design of unit-cell based programmable materials

An optimal design for a programmable material based on an array of unit‐cells is established. A programmable material behavior is achieved by using unit‐cells with complex and adjustable features arising from the inner structure of each cell. This type of materials has the potential of replacing the functionality of entire systems consisting of sensors and actuators, provided that an optimal inner structure is given. In this paper the multiscale optimization problem and a solution strategy are presented. An efficient data driven method is used for the solution of the macroscopic boundary value problem. Finally, an example of an optimized parameter distribution for a unit‐cell based material is shown.