New devices morph and transform - like Iron Man’s suit

BYU researchers unfold new class of mechanical devices It took just over 10 years, but real science has finally caught up to the science fiction of Iron Man’s transforming exoskeleton suit. In a paper published Feb. 13, 2019, in Science Robotics, engineers at Brigham Young University (#BYU) detail new technology that allows them to build complex mechanisms into the exterior of a structure without taking up any actual space below the surface. This new class of origami-inspired mechanisms, called “developable mechanisms,” get their name from developable surfaces, or materials that can take on 3-D shapes from flat conformations without tearing or stretching, like a sheet of paper or metal. They reside in a curved surface (like, say, the arms of Iron Man’s suit) and can transform or morph when deployed to serve unique functions. When not in use, they can fold back into the surface of the structure seamlessly. “These new discoveries make it possible to build complex machines that integrate with s