Wood is a prototypical biological material, which adapts to mechanical requirements. The microarchitecture of cellulose fibrils determines the mechanical properties of woody materials, as well as their actuation properties, based on absorption and desorption of water. Herein it is argued that cellulose fiber orientation corresponds to an analog code that determines the response of wood to humidity as an active material. Examples for the harvesting of wood activity, as well as bioinspiration, are given.
Keywords: active materials; analog codes; cellulose fibrils; physical intelligence; wood materials; wood microarchitecture.
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.