Shape-shifting materials that can be programmed to morph over time could lead to
medical implants that unfold at controlled rates inside the body, a new study finds.
Shape-shifting capabilities can enable a wide range of new applications and extend existing ones, according to the researchers. "Living organisms do it all the time," said study senior author Sergei Sheiko, a materials scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Birds change the shape of the wings to enable taking off and landing."
Scientists have developed many different shape-shifting materials over the years, but these usually required an external trigger in order for the structures to change form — for instance, the introduction of light, heat, electricity or acidity. In contrast, there are many situations in which researchers might want an item to change shape without the need for outside cues that could upset a stable environment. For example, "the human body makes a tremendous effort to maintain constant temperature and pH," Sheiko told Live Science. [The 9 Most Interesting Transplants] https://www.livescience.com/56273-shape-shifting-materials-implants-that-morph.html
