Research funded by the U.S. Air Force, the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has led to the development of a flexible material that can stretch when heated in addition to being rigid. The team hopes to use the material in the development of shape-shifting robots that can advance past the rigid structures or conventional robots and allow them to morph into new shapes and be used for various kinds of tasks.
The team created the material using 3-D printing to create a mold from foam and then dipped it into molten metal. Afterwards, the metal is placed into a vacuum, leading to the removal of air from the foam's pores and its solidification. The result is a soft, flexible material made from a mixture of an elastomer foam and soft metal.
The material is stiff and rigid in its standard state but deforms when heated above 144 degrees Fahrenheit with a hot air gun. However, after it cools it returns to its original state and regains its rigidity. The team claims that the material has the ability to stretch up to 600 percent.
The Cornell University researchers propose that the new material could be used in the creation of flying drones that have the ability to transform into submarines and alter the shape of their wings as needed.
Although the team is still experimenting with the material and is unsure when it will be ready for implementation in real world products, it has the potential to open up new avenues of research and push other teams to experiment with their own kinds of flexible robotic materials.
The new findings are the next in a long line of others resulting from scientists attempting to come up with a way to create flexible robots that are less vulnerable than their conventional, rigid counterparts. In January, a team of researchers revealed the potential of fluid robots that they claim are better suited for chaotic, hostile environments.
In addition to their use in robotics, shape-shifting materials can also be integrated into other products such as prosthetics and medical equipment, as described by Rob Shepard, an engineering professor at Cornell University, in the video below.
The findings will be published in an upcoming issue of Advanced Materials.
