External Event: Mechanical Metamaterials Summer School

Registration Link

Date: Monday 10^th August (morning – Sunday 9^th arrival encouraged) until Friday 14^th August (afternoon).

Format: In-person only, attendees are encouraged to participate throughout.

Venue: University of Southampton.

Programme

Following the success of the 2025 Mechanical Metamaterials Summer School, we are pleased to announce that we will be organising another edition this summer. This is aimed at PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, early career academics, and industry professionals. It will be hosted at the University of Southampton, with support from the UK Metamaterials Network Plus. The program will cover various modelling aspects of mechanical metamaterials through engaging minicourses, hands-on projects, and insightful standalone lectures. Participants will gain insight into the foundations of mechanical metamaterials and explore the latest ideas and applications. The event is funded by the British Council for promoting the research environments in the area of mechanical metamaterials.

Broadly, five topics will be covered: (1) Foundation of mechanical metamaterials, (2) origami/kirigami-inspired metamaterials, (3) Active mechanical metamaterials, (4) Dynamics and wave propagation, (5) Manufacturing and experiments.

Invited Speakers include

• Fabrizio Scarpa, University of Bristol, UK: Mechanical metamaterials
• Martin Walker, Durham University, UK: Instabilities in metamaterials
• Marcela Machado, University of Brasília, Brazil: Dynamics of metamaterials
• Ioannis Zampetakis, Modern Synthesis, UK: Sustainable material synthesis
• Biruta Kresling, Independent Researcher, Paris, France: Origami design
• Pooya Sareh, Newcastle University, UK: Origami and Kirigami metamaterials
• Diego Misseroni, University of Trento, Italy: Origami-based metamaterials
• Ajit Panesar, Imperial College London, UK: Machine learning and optimisation for metamaterial design
• Jack Binysh, University of Birmingham, UK: Robotic metamaterials
• Reece Oosterbeek, University of Oxford, UK: Metamaterials for medical implants
• Yunlan “Emma” Zhang, Ph.D. “Emma” Zhang, The University of Texas at Austin, USA: Architected instability-based metamaterials
• Tom Allen, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK: Metamaterials for sports
• Mahdi Bodaghi, Nottingham Trent University, UK: Force regulation and vibration isolation
• Chris Bowen, University of Bath, UK: Active materials for sensing and energy harvesting

Project work and presentations: The school will also feature project work and group presentations, aimed at effective learning of the concepts. There will be an optional opportunity to present your own research to the attending participants, including detailed discussions. This initiative aims to foster a collaborative and innovative learning environment, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and driving progress in mechanical metamaterials research and industrial applications.

Agenda

Organisers

Commitment Fee: We ask for a non-refundable commitment fee of £400. The fee is to be paid by successful applicants within two weeks of receiving notice of their place at the Summer School. A link to the payment page will be provided in the invitation to register.

Travel: Attendees should arrange their own travel to the venue. The campus and accommodation are in Southampton.

Accommodation: Accommodation can be provided from Sunday 9th August until Friday 14^th August (included in the commitment fee).

Hardship Fund: For UK-based students lacking funding to attend the event, additional support can be sought through a hardship fund. Please submit your support request as part of the Expression of Interest form linked below:

Expressions of Interest

Funders

The Summer School is kindly funded by the British Council and the European Research Council.