Big Picture

Programmable materials from MIT could improve the future of robotics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT researchers have developed a method for 3D printing materials with tunable mechanical properties that sense how they are moving and interacting with the environment. The researchers create these sensing structures using just one material and a single run on a 3D printer.

This technique could someday be used to create flexible, soft robots with embedded sensors that enable them to understand their posture and movements. It might also be used to produce wearable smart devices that provide feedback on how a person is moving or interacting with their environment.