Elastic metamaterials: some initial experiences with the Milton-Willis structure based on a rapid prototyped model and a numerical analysis

Elastic metamaterials attract quite a bit of research attention of late. Theoretical models such as those proposed by Milton and Willis suggest possibility of physically realizing the structures leading to elastic metamaterials. The main stumbling block being the limitations of fabrication methods, considering the complex geometries and material requirements. Rapid prototyping and of-late rapid manufacturing offer solutions for the production of physical shapes of unlimited geometrical complexities direct from digital files, employing a variety of materials. Considering the requirements of metamaterial structures and the capabilities of rapid manufacturing, the need to bring these two together has been envisioned, and the experimental and numerical work presented in this paper is an initial step towards this goal.