Omnipotent rods

Soft and elongated materials are ubiquitous in nature and engineering. They make up complex entangled structures, e.g., bird nests, and actively functional units, e.g., the elephant trunk, but also help build mundane objects, e.g., textiles. In this talk, I will discuss how the nonlinear mechanics of elastic rods make them versatile and powerful building blocks for functional materials. I will discuss soft robotic applications, deployable structures, and new directions in the weaving and programming of woven and nonwoven materials.