Finding new angles on an old artform, McGill researchers have increased the number of stable shapes that kirigami-based engineered materials can take, opening the way to a range of new applications.
What makes these metamaterials special is not what they are made of – they can be plastic, cardboard or anything else – but how, thanks to shapes cut into them, they are able to morph from one form to another. To begin to understand the concept, think of pop-up illustrations of cut paper in books or greeting cards.
