Know What's Happening in Robotics

A Programmable, Lego-Like Material for Robots Emulates Life's Flexibility

Mechanical engineers at Duke University have created a Lego‑like material whose individual cells can be switched between solid and liquid states, enabling on‑demand changes in stiffness and damping. By arranging these programmable blocks, the team demonstrated a robotic fish tail that altered swimming trajectories without modifying motor output. The approach relies on a gallium‑iron alloy that liquefies with localized heating and re‑solidifies at low temperatures, offering a reusable, digital‑style reconfiguration method. The researchers envision miniaturized versions for medical navigation and adaptive stents.