New Material Spontaneously Moves, Forms Crystal-Like Patterns
Physicists have developed a new material composed of robotic elements that spontaneously form 'time crystals' by moving in repeating patterns without external power. This discovery in active matter could pave the way for advanced, biology-inspired multifunctional robots.
Why it matters
The creation of self-organizing active materials represents a breakthrough in physics that could revolutionize robotics and material science.
A new material that produces movement patterns repeating in space nd time, powered without external beat. A team of physicists from Amsterdam, Leiden and the UK published their unique design in Nature.
The discovery of an internationals team of physicists marks an important step towards developing biology-inspired multifunctional robots. Connected robotic elements together form a new material, that 'dances' to an internal rather than an external beat. The repetitive back-and-forth movement of this material creates a stable oscillation also called 'time crystals'. Physicists from Amsterdam, Leiden and the UK made structures like this in two different forms: a one-dimensional ring and a two-dimensional surface. Their groundbreaking results are published in Nature today.
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