Shape-shifting

Researchers in the Netherlands have created mechanical structures that strangely shrink – or more precisely, snap inward – instead of stretching outward when pulled. This 'countersnapping' behavior could find use in tomorrow's soft robots.

More than 30 years in the making, this long-range, high-speed, flight-tested, two-seat flying car is slated to be certified later this year, with customer deliveries beginning in early 2026. The team tells us an amphibious version could follow.

If a robot is going to excel at traversing multiple types of terrain, it shouldn't have an unadaptable "Jack of all trades, master of none" body shape. That's where the GOAT comes in, as it automatically changes shape depending on the landscape.

The CT-2 is a shape-shifting four-wheeled urban getabout, a tandem two-seater that can park in motorcycle spaces and filter through traffic – but that spreads its wheels wider for stability at higher speeds. It's slated for production in 2026.

Formless 'slime' robots that shape-change to complete complex tasks – it sounds like science fantasy. However, MIT researchers have developed a machine-learning technique that brings shape-changing soft robots a step closer to reality.

ANYmal is a truly remarkable robot, capable of standing and lifting things like a humanoid, or slinking around on all fours like a quadruped, with or without wheels. But what's really surprised us now is the eerie grace it's starting to move with.

Two wheels, a motor, a seat, some handlebars and some footrests: put 'em in one arrangement, and you've got a sportsbike. In another, a cruiser. Or an adventure machine. Or a commuter. Why not a single, shape-shifting architecture that does it all?

Researchers have created a low-cost fiber that contracts in response to heat, resuming its shape when the heat is removed. Compatible with existing textile-producing machinery, the shape-shifting fiber could have a myriad of uses.

Researchers have created a new class of robots that can shift between solid and liquid forms on demand. In a series of tests, these new bots could change shape to run obstacle courses, carry objects, or even escape from a jail cell like a Terminator.

Everyone who's driven laps around a packed parking area has had the thought at least once: Why can't my car shrink down to squeeze into a tiny space? Finally, it can – at least if your car is the all-new Israeli-designed City Transformer.

A retractable hard-top is standard fare, but how about a retractable body shell? That's what Audi explores with the new Skysphere concept, an e-roadster that transitions between autonomous touring and hard-nosed sports driving by adjusting in length.

"A racer partly driven like a car and partly flown like a fighter jet" – that's how Lotus describes the new E-R9. The futuristic Le Mans design study debuts as a sleek, aircraft-inspired race car with electric drive and fast-morphing body panels.