Daraio's lab is primarily interested in:
- Developing a physical understanding of how stress propagates in nonlinear, ordered and disordered solid media at length scales ranging from nanometers to meters.
- Studing the fundamental connections between structure and function in different physical domains (temperature sensitivity, electrical conductivity, etc.).
- Exploiting this understanding for the creation of new materials and devices for engineering applications ranging from optomechanics to shock absorption.
Prof. Daraio’s lab is focused on developing new materials with advanced mechanical and sensing properties, for application in wearable and medical devices, soft robotics, and shock/vibration absorption. Her lab is interested in understanding how different physical functions in materials arise from their micro- and meso-structure, in both ordered and disordered media, and their constitutive properties. Application of her research include new materials and methods for acoustic imaging and thermal sensing for health monitoring, smart and tunable fabrics, as well as sustainable materials for packaging and construction. Her group’s work is primarily experimental, but it is informed by numerical and analytical studies, which serve as a guide in new material design, fabrication and validation of their properties.
