Now that’s a real SHAPE-SHIFTER: Material that can change size, volume and stiffness could lead to ‘reprogrammable’ buildings

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Now that’s a real SHAPE-SHIFTER: Material that can change size, volume and stiffness could lead to ‘reprogrammable’ buildings

Material uses a structure inspired by origami technique called snapology
Assembly of ‘extruded cubes’ fold along edges to change shape and size
Pneumatic actuators control the way the cubes folds, altering its stiffness
The material could lead to new fold away roofs or walls that change shape

By RUSS SWAN FOR MAILONLINE

A new type of material based on folding cubes can be programmed to change its shape, size and stiffness, collapsing into a flat sheet that can be driven over before popping back up again.
Engineers have developed the ‘meta-material’ using a modern development of origami dubbed snapology.
This technique, also called unit or modular origami, involves constructing multiple identical elements and assembling these into a larger model.

In the case of the meta-material, created by Harvard University engineers, the units are each composed of six open cubes attached along their edges.
The result resembles a three dimensional cross structure, and is known as an extruded cube.

The researchers behind the material say it could lead to new types of portable buildings that could be collapsed, rolled up.
As the material’s stiffness changes as it changes shape, such buildings could then be re-erected and made study by altering the shape…….More Here

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Now that’s a real SHAPE-SHIFTER: Material that can change size, volume and stiffness could lead to ‘reprogrammable’ buildings