{"id":180904,"date":"2016-03-11T18:40:08","date_gmt":"2016-03-11T23:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webadmin.news-harvard.go-vip.net\/gazette\/gazette\/?p=180904"},"modified":"2016-03-11T18:40:08","modified_gmt":"2016-03-11T23:40:08","slug":"3-d-material-changes-shape-as-it-prepares-for-next-task","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/03\/3-d-material-changes-shape-as-it-prepares-for-next-task\/","title":{"rendered":"3-D material changes shape as it prepares for next task"},"content":{"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-square has-light-background has-colored-heading\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tScience &amp; Tech\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\t3-D material changes shape as it prepares for next task\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tLeah Burrows\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tSEAS Communications\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2016-03-11\">\n\t\t\tMarch 11, 2016\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t4 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tResearchers design foldable material that is versatile, tunable, self-actuated\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>Imagine a house that could fit in a backpack or a wall that could become a window with the flick of a switch.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.<\/p>\n<p>The research was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seas.harvard.edu\/directory\/bertoldi\">Katia Bertoldi<\/a>, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); <a href=\"http:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/viewpage\/530\/staff-scientists\">James Weaver<\/a>, senior research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; and <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/21708179\">Chuck Hoberman<\/a> of the Graduate School of Design. It is described in Nature Communications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve designed a 3-D, 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,\u201d said Johannes T.B. Overvelde, a graduate student in Bertoldi\u2019s lab and first author of the paper.<\/p>\n\r\n\n<figure class=\"embed-wrapper wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9; \">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen src=\"\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l2JJNIyTMpEHPhXq0\"><\/iframe>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t\r\n\n<p>The structure is inspired by an origami technique called snapology, and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges. Like origami, the cube can be folded along its edges to change shape. The team demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally by a centimeter-scale prototype, that the cube can be deformed into many different shapes by folding certain edges, which act like hinges. The team embedded pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to deform specific hinges, changing the cube\u2019s shapes and size, and removing the need for external input.<\/p>\n<p>The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4-by-4-by-4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure, and fold completely flat. As the structure changes shape, it also changes stiffness \u2014 meaning one could make a material that\u2019s very pliable or very stiff using the same design. These actuated changes in material properties add a fourth dimension to the material. \u201cWe do not only understand how the material deforms, but also have an actuation approach that harnesses this understanding,\u201d said Bertoldi. \u201cWe know exactly what we need to actuate in order to get the shape we want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The material can be embedded with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric, or even water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunities to move all of the control systems onboard combined with new actuation systems already being developed for similar origami-like structures really opens up the design space for these easily deployable transformable structures,\u201d said Weaver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis structural system has fascinating implications for dynamic architecture, including portable shelters, adaptive building facades, and retractable roofs,\u201d said Hoberman. \u201cWhereas current approaches to these applications rely on standard mechanics, this technology offers unique advantages such as how it integrates surface and structure, its inherent simplicity of manufacture, and its ability to fold flat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis research demonstrates a new class of foldable materials that is also completely scalable,\u201d Overvelde said, \u201cIt works from the nanoscale to the meter-scale and could be used to make anything from surgical stents to portable pop-up domes for disaster relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This paper was coauthored by Twan A. de Jong, Yanina Shevchenko, Sergio A. Becerra, and George Whitesides. The research was supported by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, the National Science Foundation and the Wyss institute through the Seed Grant Program.<\/p>\n\r\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/maKILHxcGAE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br \/>\nHarvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. Credit: Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\r\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105622744,"featured_media":180965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":18,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2021-02-24 00:23","document_color_palette":null,"author":"Leah Burrows","affiliation":"SEAS Communications","_category_override":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1387],"tags":[8305,14826,18765,20549,31560,36255],"gazette-formats":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-180904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-chuck-hoberman","tag-graduate-school-of-design","tag-james-weaver","tag-katia-bertoldi","tag-snapology","tag-wyss-institute-for-biologically-inspired-engineering-at-harvard-university"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.0 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>3-D material changes shape as it prepares for next task &#8212; Harvard Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/03\/3-d-material-changes-shape-as-it-prepares-for-next-task\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3-D material changes shape as it prepares for next task &#8212; Harvard Gazette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. 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Tech\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\t3-D material changes shape as it prepares for next task\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tLeah Burrows\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tSEAS Communications\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2016-03-11\">\n\t\t\tMarch 11, 2016\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t4 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tResearchers design foldable material that is versatile, tunable, self-actuated\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>Imagine a house that could fit in a backpack or a wall that could become a window with the flick of a switch.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.<\/p>\n<p>The research was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seas.harvard.edu\/directory\/bertoldi\">Katia Bertoldi<\/a>, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); <a href=\"http:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/viewpage\/530\/staff-scientists\">James Weaver<\/a>, senior research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; and <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/21708179\">Chuck Hoberman<\/a> of the Graduate School of Design. It is described in Nature Communications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve designed a 3-D, 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,\u201d said Johannes T.B. Overvelde, a graduate student in Bertoldi\u2019s lab and first author of the paper.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>Imagine a house that could fit in a backpack or a wall that could become a window with the flick of a switch.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.<\/p>\n<p>The research was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seas.harvard.edu\/directory\/bertoldi\">Katia Bertoldi<\/a>, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); <a href=\"http:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/viewpage\/530\/staff-scientists\">James Weaver<\/a>, senior research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; and <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/21708179\">Chuck Hoberman<\/a> of the Graduate School of Design. It is described in Nature Communications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve designed a 3-D, 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,\u201d said Johannes T.B. Overvelde, a graduate student in Bertoldi\u2019s lab and first author of the paper.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>Imagine a house that could fit in a backpack or a wall that could become a window with the flick of a switch.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.<\/p>\n<p>The research was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seas.harvard.edu\/directory\/bertoldi\">Katia Bertoldi<\/a>, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); <a href=\"http:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/viewpage\/530\/staff-scientists\">James Weaver<\/a>, senior research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; and <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/21708179\">Chuck Hoberman<\/a> of the Graduate School of Design. It is described in Nature Communications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve designed a 3-D, 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,\u201d said Johannes T.B. Overvelde, a graduate student in Bertoldi\u2019s lab and first author of the paper.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/html","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"tagName":"figcaption","className":"wp-element-caption","templateLock":null,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"className":"wp-element-caption--caption","align":"","content":"A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br>\n","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p>","innerContent":["<p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p>"],"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p>"}],"innerHTML":"<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption>","innerContent":["<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption\">","<\/figcaption>"],"rendered":"<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p><\/figcaption>"}],"innerHTML":"\n<figure class=\"embed-wrapper wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9; \">\n<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen src=\"\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l2JJNIyTMpEHPhXq0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/figure>\n","innerContent":["\n<figure class=\"embed-wrapper wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9; \">\n<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen src=\"\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l2JJNIyTMpEHPhXq0\"><\/iframe>\n","<\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"embed-wrapper wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9; \">\n<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen src=\"\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l2JJNIyTMpEHPhXq0\"><\/iframe>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>The structure is inspired by an origami technique called snapology, and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges. Like origami, the cube can be folded along its edges to change shape. The team demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally by a centimeter-scale prototype, that the cube can be deformed into many different shapes by folding certain edges, which act like hinges. The team embedded pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to deform specific hinges, changing the cube\u2019s shapes and size, and removing the need for external input.<\/p>\n<p>The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4-by-4-by-4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure, and fold completely flat. As the structure changes shape, it also changes stiffness \u2014 meaning one could make a material that\u2019s very pliable or very stiff using the same design. These actuated changes in material properties add a fourth dimension to the material. \u201cWe do not only understand how the material deforms, but also have an actuation approach that harnesses this understanding,\u201d said Bertoldi. \u201cWe know exactly what we need to actuate in order to get the shape we want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The material can be embedded with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric, or even water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunities to move all of the control systems onboard combined with new actuation systems already being developed for similar origami-like structures really opens up the design space for these easily deployable transformable structures,\u201d said Weaver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis structural system has fascinating implications for dynamic architecture, including portable shelters, adaptive building facades, and retractable roofs,\u201d said Hoberman. \u201cWhereas current approaches to these applications rely on standard mechanics, this technology offers unique advantages such as how it integrates surface and structure, its inherent simplicity of manufacture, and its ability to fold flat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis research demonstrates a new class of foldable materials that is also completely scalable,\u201d Overvelde said, \u201cIt works from the nanoscale to the meter-scale and could be used to make anything from surgical stents to portable pop-up domes for disaster relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This paper was coauthored by Twan A. de Jong, Yanina Shevchenko, Sergio A. Becerra, and George Whitesides. The research was supported by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, the National Science Foundation and the Wyss institute through the Seed Grant Program.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>The structure is inspired by an origami technique called snapology, and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges. Like origami, the cube can be folded along its edges to change shape. The team demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally by a centimeter-scale prototype, that the cube can be deformed into many different shapes by folding certain edges, which act like hinges. The team embedded pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to deform specific hinges, changing the cube\u2019s shapes and size, and removing the need for external input.<\/p>\n<p>The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4-by-4-by-4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure, and fold completely flat. As the structure changes shape, it also changes stiffness \u2014 meaning one could make a material that\u2019s very pliable or very stiff using the same design. These actuated changes in material properties add a fourth dimension to the material. \u201cWe do not only understand how the material deforms, but also have an actuation approach that harnesses this understanding,\u201d said Bertoldi. \u201cWe know exactly what we need to actuate in order to get the shape we want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The material can be embedded with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric, or even water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunities to move all of the control systems onboard combined with new actuation systems already being developed for similar origami-like structures really opens up the design space for these easily deployable transformable structures,\u201d said Weaver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis structural system has fascinating implications for dynamic architecture, including portable shelters, adaptive building facades, and retractable roofs,\u201d said Hoberman. \u201cWhereas current approaches to these applications rely on standard mechanics, this technology offers unique advantages such as how it integrates surface and structure, its inherent simplicity of manufacture, and its ability to fold flat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis research demonstrates a new class of foldable materials that is also completely scalable,\u201d Overvelde said, \u201cIt works from the nanoscale to the meter-scale and could be used to make anything from surgical stents to portable pop-up domes for disaster relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This paper was coauthored by Twan A. de Jong, Yanina Shevchenko, Sergio A. Becerra, and George Whitesides. The research was supported by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, the National Science Foundation and the Wyss institute through the Seed Grant Program.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>The structure is inspired by an origami technique called snapology, and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges. Like origami, the cube can be folded along its edges to change shape. The team demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally by a centimeter-scale prototype, that the cube can be deformed into many different shapes by folding certain edges, which act like hinges. The team embedded pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to deform specific hinges, changing the cube\u2019s shapes and size, and removing the need for external input.<\/p>\n<p>The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4-by-4-by-4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure, and fold completely flat. As the structure changes shape, it also changes stiffness \u2014 meaning one could make a material that\u2019s very pliable or very stiff using the same design. These actuated changes in material properties add a fourth dimension to the material. \u201cWe do not only understand how the material deforms, but also have an actuation approach that harnesses this understanding,\u201d said Bertoldi. \u201cWe know exactly what we need to actuate in order to get the shape we want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The material can be embedded with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric, or even water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunities to move all of the control systems onboard combined with new actuation systems already being developed for similar origami-like structures really opens up the design space for these easily deployable transformable structures,\u201d said Weaver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis structural system has fascinating implications for dynamic architecture, including portable shelters, adaptive building facades, and retractable roofs,\u201d said Hoberman. \u201cWhereas current approaches to these applications rely on standard mechanics, this technology offers unique advantages such as how it integrates surface and structure, its inherent simplicity of manufacture, and its ability to fold flat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis research demonstrates a new class of foldable materials that is also completely scalable,\u201d Overvelde said, \u201cIt works from the nanoscale to the meter-scale and could be used to make anything from surgical stents to portable pop-up domes for disaster relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This paper was coauthored by Twan A. de Jong, Yanina Shevchenko, Sergio A. Becerra, and George Whitesides. The research was supported by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, the National Science Foundation and the Wyss institute through the Seed Grant Program.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/embed","attrs":{"url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=maKILHxcGAE","type":"video","responsive":true,"providerNameSlug":"youtube","className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio","caption":"<br>\nHarvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. Credit: Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br>\n","allowResponsive":true,"previewable":true,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","style":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=maKILHxcGAE\n<\/div>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br \/>\nHarvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. Credit: Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=maKILHxcGAE\n<\/div>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br \/>\nHarvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. Credit: Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=maKILHxcGAE\n<\/div>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br \/>\nHarvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. Credit: Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n","innerContent":["\n"],"rendered":"\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\r\n\n\t\r\n\r\n\n\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\r\n","\n\t\r\n","\r\n","\n\r\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>Imagine a house that could fit in a backpack or a wall that could become a window with the flick of a switch.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable, and self-actuated. It can change size, volume, and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.<\/p>\n<p>The research was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seas.harvard.edu\/directory\/bertoldi\">Katia Bertoldi<\/a>, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); <a href=\"http:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/viewpage\/530\/staff-scientists\">James Weaver<\/a>, senior research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; and <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/21708179\">Chuck Hoberman<\/a> of the Graduate School of Design. It is described in Nature Communications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve designed a 3-D, 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,\u201d said Johannes T.B. Overvelde, a graduate student in Bertoldi\u2019s lab and first author of the paper.<\/p>\n\r\n\n<figure class=\"embed-wrapper wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9; \">\n<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen src=\"\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l2JJNIyTMpEHPhXq0\"><\/iframe>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A foldable and reprogrammable material made up of individual cells whose shape, volume, and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled. Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t\r\n\n<p>The structure is inspired by an origami technique called snapology, and is made from extruded cubes with 24 faces and 36 edges. Like origami, the cube can be folded along its edges to change shape. The team demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally by a centimeter-scale prototype, that the cube can be deformed into many different shapes by folding certain edges, which act like hinges. The team embedded pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to deform specific hinges, changing the cube\u2019s shapes and size, and removing the need for external input.<\/p>\n<p>The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4-by-4-by-4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure, and fold completely flat. As the structure changes shape, it also changes stiffness \u2014 meaning one could make a material that\u2019s very pliable or very stiff using the same design. These actuated changes in material properties add a fourth dimension to the material. \u201cWe do not only understand how the material deforms, but also have an actuation approach that harnesses this understanding,\u201d said Bertoldi. \u201cWe know exactly what we need to actuate in order to get the shape we want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The material can be embedded with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric, or even water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunities to move all of the control systems onboard combined with new actuation systems already being developed for similar origami-like structures really opens up the design space for these easily deployable transformable structures,\u201d said Weaver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis structural system has fascinating implications for dynamic architecture, including portable shelters, adaptive building facades, and retractable roofs,\u201d said Hoberman. \u201cWhereas current approaches to these applications rely on standard mechanics, this technology offers unique advantages such as how it integrates surface and structure, its inherent simplicity of manufacture, and its ability to fold flat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis research demonstrates a new class of foldable materials that is also completely scalable,\u201d Overvelde said, \u201cIt works from the nanoscale to the meter-scale and could be used to make anything from surgical stents to portable pop-up domes for disaster relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This paper was coauthored by Twan A. de Jong, Yanina Shevchenko, Sergio A. Becerra, and George Whitesides. The research was supported by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, the National Science Foundation and the Wyss institute through the Seed Grant Program.<\/p>\n\r\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=maKILHxcGAE\n<\/div>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br \/>\nHarvard researchers have designed a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task. Credit: Johannes Overvelde\/Bertoldi Lab\/Harvard SEAS<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\r\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":102863,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2012\/02\/pop-goes-the-robot\/","url_meta":{"origin":180904,"position":0},"title":"&#8216;Pop!&#8217; goes the robot","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"A production method inspired by children's pop-up books enables rapid fabrication of tiny, complex devices. Devised by engineers at Harvard, the ingenious layering and folding process will enable the creation of a broad range of electromechanical devices.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science &amp; Tech&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science &amp; Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/wholebee-sm_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/wholebee-sm_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/wholebee-sm_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":159534,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2014\/08\/robot-folds-up-walks-away\/","url_meta":{"origin":180904,"position":1},"title":"Robot folds up, walks away","author":"harvardgazette","date":"August 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A team of engineers used little more than paper and a classic children\u2019s toy to build a robot that assembles itself into a complex shape in four minutes, and crawls away without human intervention.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science &amp; Tech&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science &amp; Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dramatic_robots_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dramatic_robots_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dramatic_robots_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":340413,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2022\/04\/harvard-researchers-help-3d-printing-take-its-next-step\/","url_meta":{"origin":180904,"position":2},"title":"Making 3D printing truly 3D","author":"Lian Parsons","date":"April 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Harvard researchers present a new method of volumetric 3D printing.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science &amp; Tech&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science &amp; Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Still from 3D printing.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Still-from-3D-video.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Still-from-3D-video.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Still-from-3D-video.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Still-from-3D-video.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":311487,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/09\/a-textile-that-can-change-and-remember-its-shape\/","url_meta":{"origin":180904,"position":3},"title":"Imagine clothing that stretches or shrinks to fit you","author":"gazettebeckycoleman","date":"September 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"SEAS researchers have developed a material made from recycled wool can be 3D-printed into any shape and pre-programmed with reversible shape memory.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science &amp; Tech&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science &amp; Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Textile changes shape.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/textilersz.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/textilersz.gif?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/textilersz.gif?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/textilersz.gif?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60738,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2008\/02\/compact-wavelength-on-demand-quantum-cascade-laser-chip-created\/","url_meta":{"origin":180904,"position":4},"title":"Compact, wavelength-on-demand Quantum Cascade Laser chip created","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 5, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Engineers at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have demonstrated a highly versatile, compact and portable Quantum Cascade Laser sensor for the fast detection of a large number of chemicals, ranging from infinitesimal traces of gases to liquids, by broad tuning of the emission wavelength. The potential range of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science &amp; Tech&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science &amp; Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":248126,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2018\/07\/origami-inspired-device-safely-traps-delicate-sea-creature\/","url_meta":{"origin":180904,"position":5},"title":"\u2018Aliens\u2019 of the deep captured","author":"harvardgazette","date":"July 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A new device developed by Harvard researchers safely traps delicate sea creatures inside a folding polyhedral enclosure and lets them go without harm using a novel, origami-inspired design.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science &amp; Tech&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science &amp; Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RAD-Sampler-ROV-G0022978P2500wide.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RAD-Sampler-ROV-G0022978P2500wide.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RAD-Sampler-ROV-G0022978P2500wide.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RAD-Sampler-ROV-G0022978P2500wide.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105622744"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180904"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gazette-formats?post=180904"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=180904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}