Harvard University: A group of researcher from University have designed a new type of material that is varied, tunable, versatile self-activated and can change volume, size and shape and one of the best thing is that it can be used as a portable shelter and the material can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking.

Johannes T. B. Overvelde “We have designed a three-dimensional, thin-walled structure that can be used to make foldable and re-programmable objects of arbitrary architecture, whose shape, volume and stiffness can be dramatically altered and continuously tuned and controlled,” The research confirms that the structure of this material is inspired by an origami technique called “Snapology”

The team fixed pneumatic actuators into the structure, which can be programmed to cripple specific hinges, changing the cube’s size& shape.The team connected 64 of these individual cells to create a 4x4x4 cube that can grow, and shrink, change its shape globally, change the orientation of its microstructure and fold completely flat.

The material can be fixed with any kind of actuator, including thermal, dielectric or even water. Like origami, the cube can be bended along its edges to switch shape.