This week's cover story of Science Magazine features an interesting development in meta-materials that twist when a force is applied, rather than bend. By creating a special lattice of material, when pressed the shape twists up and shrinks - become more dense. That twist can be used to store energy from a collision (such as in crash/sport helmets, car crumple zones, or even body armor). This could create tiny motors or sensors for touch or motion that can give in an organic fashion. By modifying the stiffness of the material, this may assist in the body interface of artifical limbs, but providing a variable support for soft tissue or bone - and improve the time that a limb can be worn. The open nature will also allow the material to "breathe" even when acting as a tough interface.
GRAPHIC: C. BICKEL/SCIENCE
(see: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6366/994.full )
