Technique inspired by dolphin chirps could improve tests of soft materials

Thursday, December 6, 2018 - 00:10 in Physics & Chemistry

When you deform a soft material such as Silly Putty, its properties change depending on how fast you stretch and squeeze it. If you leave the putty in a small glass, it will eventually spread out like a liquid. If you pull it slowly, it will thin and droop like viscous taffy. And if you quickly yank on it, the Silly Putty will snap like a brittle, solid bar. Scientists use various instruments to stretch, squeeze, and twist soft materials to precisely characterize their strength and elasticity. But typically, such experiments are carried out sequentially, which can be time-consuming. Now, inspired by the sound sequences used by bats and dolphins in echolocation, MIT engineers have devised a technique that vastly improves on the speed and accuracy of measuring soft materials’ properties. The technique can be used to test the properties of drying cement, clotting blood, or any other “mutating” soft materials as...

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