<ul><li>Engineers have designed a metamaterial that twists when compressed and shrinks when twisted, inspired by the behavior of origami.</li><li>The metamaterial is based on the Kresling origami pattern and is made from thin plastic rods.</li><li>It can be compressed and twisted using an external magnetic field, allowing it to follow electromagnetic commands like a remotely controlled robot.</li><li>Potential applications include storage containers, weighing scales, heat shields, and materials that respond to heat and light.</li></ul>

Watch a ‘metabot’ twist and expand without a power source

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