Reprogrammable, In-Materia Matrix-Vector Multiplication with Floppy Modes

Matrix-vector multiplications are a fundamental building block of artificial intelligence; this essential role has motivated their implementation in a variety of physical substrates, from memristor crossbar arrays to photonic-integrated circuits. Yet their realization in soft-matter intelligent systems remains elusive. Herein, A reprogrammable elastic metamaterial that computes matrix-vector multiplications using floppy modes—deformations with near-zero stored elastic energy is experimentally demonstrated. Floppy modes allow to program complex deformations without being hindered by the natural stiffness of the material; but their practical application is challenging, as their existence depends on global topological properties of the system. To overcome this challenge, a continuously parameterized unit cell design with well-defined compatibility characteristics is introduced. This unit cell is then combined to form arbitrary matrix-vector multiplications that can even be reprogrammed after fabrication. The results demonstrate that floppy modes can act as key enablers for embodied intelligence, smart micro electro mechanical systems(MEMS) devices, and in-sensor edge computing.