U.S. researchers recently developed “metamaterials” that can freely transform soft and hard

American researchers have recently developed a table that can be freely hardened or Softened “metamaterials” are expected to be used in cars or reusable rockets in the future. “Metamaterial” refers to an artificial composite structure or composite material that possesses extraordinary physical properties not found in natural materials.

The latest “metamaterial” developed by American researchers can freely transform soft and hard

Researchers from the University of Michigan in the United States reported in the British journal Nature Communications that it is difficult for general materials to change their soft and hard properties after being stably formed, but the “metamaterial” they developed can change the structure by changing the structure. It can be as soft as rubber and can become as hard as steel.

Mao Xiaoming, assistant professor of the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan, said that the ability of materials to change comes from the special structure designed by researchers. Either hard or soft in nature. Another special feature of this material is that no matter how it changes between soft and hard, its internal structure will not be damaged.

This “metamaterial” is expected to be used in automobile manufacturing and other aspects in the future. Mao Xiaoming said: “When you are driving, you want your car body to be hard and bear the weight. And in the event of a collision, you want the car body material to be soft so that it can absorb the energy of the collision and protect the passengers in the car.”

The researchers believe that this material can also be used in many ways in the future, such as being used to make tires that can automatically change the softness and hardness according to road conditions, or to make rockets that can be recycled and re-launched.