Changing shapes at the push of a button
Programmable materials are true shapeshifters. They can change their charac-teristics in a controlled and reversible way with the push of a button, inde-pendently adapting to fit new conditions. They can be used, for example, to make comfy chairs or mattresses that prevent bedsores. To produce these, the support is formed in such a way that the contact surface is large which, as a result, lowers the pressure on parts of the body. This type of programmable material is being developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Programmable Materials CPM, who plan to bring it to the m...
Source: fraunhofer.de