Mechanical metamaterials, which exhibit unusual properties such as shape morphing and programmability, have been found to display further surprising features. When the materials are a step in size larger, new rules seem to apply. This was discovered by researchers at AMOLF, Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam. Their findings will be published in Nature Physics.

On an apparently normal cube a pattern of hollows and bulges appears when the cube is compressed. Physicists from Dutch FOM Institute AMOLF and Leiden University together with colleagues from Tel Aviv University have developed a method to design such 3D structures and to construct these using simple building blocks. This paves the way for the use of 'machine materials' in, for example, prostheses and wearable technology. The researchers will publ...