Researchers developed a form-changing flyer

In a paper in the journal Smart Materials and Structures the research team explains how it has radically redesigned the aircraft wing. Their new structure is a lightweight framework made from thousands of repetitive, small triangles of matchstick-like struts, covered by a thin polymer layer. Because this "metamaterial" mainly consists of empty space, it is extremely light ̵[ads1]1; less than one thousandth of the density of rubber. And the carefully positioned struts allow the wing to change shape automatically in response to changes in aerodynamic load conditions. Both factors can make the aircraft more energy efficient.

This is not a completely new concept. It was presented a few years ago, but now the researchers have developed a way to produce the individual parts of the wing by means of injection molding. They have taken the time to produce each part – a hollow cube with small struts along each edge – down from several minutes to just 17 seconds. While the meter-long model they created was hand-mounted, the process was designed to be repetitive, allowing small, autonomous robots to mount the wings in the future.

The potential for a light shape fluid wing raises questions about the ideal flight shape. With this technology, we may break away from the "tube with wings" design and use a more efficient configuration – possibly an integrated body and wing structure. If the idea of ​​seeing a flight fan shape that you cruise at 30,000 feet alerts you, don't worry yet. This is far from the commercial airline. Meanwhile, it also has the potential to reshape other structures, such as wind turbine blades.