“We’ve come a long way when it comes to material. What once could only be a solid wood structure or a soft sponge, can now combine elements of both. Rutgers University-New Brunswick engineers have now created 4D materials that are flexible and lightweight, and could serve a purpose in applications such as better shock absorption, morphing airplanes, drone wings, soft robotics, and implantable biomedical devices.
The research is currently published in the journal Materials Horizons…”
Source:
https://www.ecnmag.com/videos/2019/03/shape-shifting-material-stiff-wood-and-soft-sponge