In a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), futuristic materials are taking shape.
In a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), futuristic materials are taking shape.
The Self-Assembly Lab conducts research into how we can make materials assemble themselves, or how we can use 4D printing to create pre-programmed materials that behave in predictable ways.
For example, the lab – which employs scientists and designers across multiple industries, like computer science and mechanical engineering – is involved in creating pre-programmed shoes. Material with a specific pattern is printed onto a stretched fabric, and released. The material then folds itself into the shape of a shoe, with no human intervention.
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The lab has also created a self-assembling replica of the polio virus (not to scale), which forms itself correctly from separate parts when its container is randomly shaken.
Source: Smart materials | Self assembly | Article | New Civil Engineer
