Superlative mechanical energy absorbing efficiency discovered through self-driving lab-human partnership
Kelsey L. Snapp, Benjamin Verdier, Aldair E. Gongora, Samuel Silverman, Adedire D. Adesiji, Elise F. Morgan, Timothy J. Lawton, Emily Whiting, Keith A. Brown
Abstract
Energy absorbing efficiency is a key determinant of a structure's ability to provide mechanical protection and is defined by the amount of energy that can be absorbed prior to stresses increasing to a level that damages the system to be protected. Here, we explore the energy absorbing efficiency of additively manufactured polymer structures by using a self-driving lab (SDL) to perform >25,000 physical experiments on generalized cylindrical shells. We use a human-SDL collaborative approach where experiments are selected from over trillions of candidates in an 11-dimensional parameter space using Bayesian optimization and then automatically performed while the human team monitors progress to periodically modify aspects of the system. The result of this human-SDL campaign is the discovery of a structure with a 75.2% energy absorbing efficiency and a library of experimental data that reveals transferable principles for designing tough structures.