Metamaterials transform from solid to liquid instantly.

For decades, children and many adults alike recoiled in fear watching the transforming robot T-1000 chase Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in the blockbuster film "Terminator 2." However, this terrifying technology is about to become a reality after scientists created a complex shape-shifting material that could allow robots to change shape from rigid to soft in the blink of an eye.

In the movie "Terminator 2," the T-1000, a highly shape-shifting robot assassin, is made of liquid metal and can heal itself. Photo: Tristar

In the 1991 film, the American secret service robot T-1000 was constructed from liquid metal, allowing him to transform into a liquid state, compress through tight spaces, and self-heal when injured.

The new material, developed by Anette Hosoi, a professor of mechanical engineering and applied mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is expected to enable the creation of real-world robots with similar capabilities at a lower cost.

For example, Professor Hosoi's metamaterial could be used to create shapeshifting surgical robots capable of moving throughout the human body to reach a specific point without damaging any internal organs or blood vessels in the process. Robots made from this material could also be used in search and rescue operations, performing tasks such as crawling deep into rubble to search for survivors.

Professor Hosoi explained that to create a material capable of transforming back and forth between solid and soft/wet states, she and her colleagues coated a foam rubber mesh structure with wax. They chose foam rubber because it can be compressed to a fraction of its normal size, but when released, it springs back to its original shape.

Meanwhile, the wax coating can change from a rigid outer shell to a softer, more pliable surface through moderate heating. Professor Hosoi explains that this can be achieved by running an electrical wire along each wax-coated foam rubber "stretch" before passing an electric current through it to heat and melt the surrounding wax. Turning off the current allows the material to cool down and return to its original solid state.

Professor Hosoi's inexpensive super-transforming materials

According to Ms. Hosoi, in addition to transforming the material into a soft state, heating the wax in this way will also repair any damage.

Nadia Cheng, co-author of the study, further revealed that the experts created the simple, shape-shifting metamaterial by dipping polyurethane foam rubber into a vat of melted wax. They compressed the foam rubber structure to encourage it to absorb the wax. She emphasized, "Many material innovations can be very expensive, but this way, you can buy polyurethane foam rubber and some wax at a really cheap price from a craft store."

The wax coating can be replaced with a stronger material, such as solder.

The research team is collaborating with robotics experts to begin a project to create soft, wet robots capable of compressing through tight spaces and then expanding back, much like an octopus. However, these types of robots need to generate a reasonable amount of force to exert on their surroundings in order to perform their tasks.

According to vietnamnet