A group of researchers from Harvard University have designed a new type of material that is versatile, tunable, foldable, self-actuated and can change size, volume and shape and can be used as a portable shelter. This material can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.
The research proves that the structure is inspired by an origami technique called snapology and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges.
“We have designed a three-dimensional, thin-walled structure that can be used to make foldable and re-programmable objects of arbitrary architecture, whose shape, volume and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled,” Johannes T. B. Overvelde, first author, said.
The team embedded pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to deform specific hinges, changing the cube’s shape and size, and removing the need for external input. The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4x4x4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure and fold completely flat.
The material can be embedded with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric or even water. Like origami, the cube can be folded along its edges to change shape.