Researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas, have developed a soft metamaterial that can quickly change size and shape under remote control. The team says this invention could pave the way for safer, more versatile ingestible and implantable medical devices.
Metamaterials are engineered structures that derive their unique properties from their geometry rather than their chemical composition. The Rice researchers designed a material that remains stable while also deforming on command—a combination not previously seen in soft structures.
Remarkably, this material can withstand compressive loads more than 10 times its own weight. It also maintains its performance under extreme temperatures and corrosive environments, features that are essential for medical devices intended to endure the acidic conditions of the human stomach.
The design allows the metamaterial to switch between open and closed states when triggered by a magnetic field. This transformation is retained, giving the structure a form of memory.
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