BENGALURU:  In future, houses and walls can be shrinked down to fit into a bagpack! Yes, it is true as scientists at the top US universities have designed a new foldable material that possess versatility, ability to tune and self-actuate. The material can alter its size, shape, and volume by an external force; when flat it can withstand the weight of the elephant without breaking and regain its original shape.  

Harvard University researcher’s claim that such a foldable material is possible.  Johannes T B Overvelde, Researcher, Harvard University supports the claim saying, “We have designed a three-dimensional, thin-walled structure that can be used to make foldable and reprogrammable objects of arbitrary architecture, whose shape, volume and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled.” News Nation reports that the structure is inspired by an origami technique called ‘Snapology’ which involves folding papers to 3D geometric shapes, and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges. The cube can be folded along its edges to change shape like origami.

Different folding techniques are applicable on the structures. New Scientist website mentions that researchers suggest that the technology could be used to make a shelter or sturdy chair that folds itself up into a flat sheet for storage. Previously, materials were considered static; when comparing it to the newly designed material, Shuhei Miyashita, University of York, UK says, “This technology could be used for adaptive protectors such as car bumpers or helmets that actively change shape and stiffness.”

Researcher’s demonstrated it both theoretically and practically by fixing pneumatic actuators in the structure, which when active can deform the particular hinges displaying the change in shape and size of the cube. The researchers linked up 64 of such individual cube cells to create a 4x4x4 cube that can grow, shrink, alter its shape globally to transform the orientation of its microstructure, and fold entirely flat. The change in structure affects the shape and its stiffness also gets changed making the material quite flexible. The website also added that the actuated alterations in material properties make the material four dimensional, helping the material to adapt any type of actuator, like thermal, dielectric or even water.

With much of the experiments performed on the newly designed material Katia Bertoldi, Researcher, Harvard University said, “We not only understand how the material deforms, but also have an actuation approach that harnesses this understanding. We know exactly what we need to actuate in order to get the shape we want.” The newly designed material was published in the journal Nature Communications. For its ability to morph, Chuck Hoberman, Researcher, Harvard University asserted that the materials structural system has fascinating implications for dynamic architecture including portable shelters, adaptive building facades and retractable roofs.

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