MIT invention: ultralight Lego-like material for large construction

Originally published on October 4, 2013

Researchers at MIT have developed a lightweight structure of tiny blocks that can be snapped together, similar to the way child's construction toys can be put together, and revolutionize the assembly of large objects, such as airplanes, spacecraft, and even dikes and levees.

Details of the invention have been outlined in a paper published in the journal Science, co-authored by postdoc Kenneth Cheung and Neil Gershenfeld, director of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms.

The structure is made of tiny, identical, interlocking parts. According to Gershenfeld, the way they are pieced together is similar to the way chainmail is linked together. The parts can create a structure that is 10 times stiffer for a given weight than existing ultralight materials. Creations can also be conveniently disassembled and reassembled, which makes repairs an easier process, and allows parts to be recycled the parts into different configurations.

Conventional materials are manufactured as continuous units, which mean making large objects such as airplane wings requires large factories. However, the new lightweight structures allows much less material to carry a given load, which would reduce the weight of any given object, such as vehicles. This would also significantly decrease the use of fuel and lower operating, construction and assembly costs.

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