Researchers have created a polymer "Chinese lantern" that can snap into more than a dozen curved, three-dimensional shapes by compressing or twisting the original structure. This rapid shape-shifting ...

An ultraviolet-light beam directs the formation of solid mineral nanoparticles in a carefully tailored solution, sculpting ‘flowers’ and other intricate shapes 1. In the natural world, minerals can ...

The stunning diversity of snowflakes gives rise to the idea that every single one is unique. While "no two flakes alike" might be an attractive metaphor, it isn’t entirely true. Yet that doesn’t stop ...

"Robot" made of shape-shifting matter liquefies to escape jail By Michael Irving January 30, 2023 A humanoid "robot" made of a phase-change material shifts from solid and liquid to escape jail, in ...

In a nutshell: Researchers have developed minuscule robots that can "assemble" and behave like a collective, building new shapes and tools. Inspired by nature, the team identified and developed the ...

Mechanical engineer Francesco Maresca and his team from the University of Groningen have worked out how memory metals change ...