Imparting Intelligence in and Through Self-Learning Materials and Structures

The Gordon Research Conference on Multifunctional Materials and Structures seeks to bring together researchers from diverse scientific disciplines to share and exploit a new understanding of how to impart intelligent system level response through self-learning materials and structures. This interdisciplinary pursuit relies upon researchers at the forefront of material science, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computational science, mechanics, engineering science, and device engineering to share current technical breakthroughs, generate new interdisciplinary concepts, and build this innovative community. In the past, this research community has successfully developed several visionary concepts to create a new breed of multifunctional and bio-inspired materials and structures. These include "autonomic", "adaptive", "self-sustaining", and “neuromorphic” systems and structures. The overall goal of these approaches has been to deliver an intelligent system level response. As with human development, intelligent response in diverse situations is achieved through progressive learning from the observe-orient-decide-act (OODA) process loop. This conference will discuss breakthroughs in “self-learning” materials and structures with embedded sensing, decision making, and response from integrated chemical, biological, mechanical, and electromagnetic processes for intelligent discovery, manufacturing, bio-inspired structures, engineered living systems, aerospace structures, smart textiles, soft robotics, and upcycling.