14" Billet Chrome Flamed Steering Wheel Half Wrap Leather & Horn Button on 2040-parts.com

MIT develops self-transforming materials that behave 'like robots without robots'

A cross-disciplinary research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a suite of programmable materials, including carbon fiber, printed wood grain, textile composites, rubbers and plastics, that self-transform when exposed to an external stimulus. Director of the Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, presented a TED talk on 4D printing in 2013, where he demonstrated how a flat sheet of material could effectively build itself when exposed to water, like a robot without a robot. Following positive feedback from industries including aviation, automotive and manufacturing, his lab has been working on developing materials that change according to different activation sources, including heat, light, and air pressure, in addition to water – all of which have automotive relevance.

100 photos honor 100 years of Rolls-Royce's Flying Lady

The Flying Lady figurine known as the Spirit of Ecstasy has crowned the hood of every Rolls-Royce for a century. It's about time a photographer took interest. In honor of her 100th anniversary, a collection of 100 pictures that draw inspiration from the iconic emblem will be taken and then go on a tour across the globe.

Volkswagen Neeza concept

By Phil McNamara/Georg Kacher First Official Pictures 20 November 2006 09:00 VW Neeza concept: the lowdown Volkswagen is developing a Ford S-Max rival – and this Neeza concept gives a clue to its thinking. Designed in China and unveiled at the Beijing motor show, the Neeza is a five-seat crossover MPV. And that's the exact concept that's under development by Volkswagen's R&D team, with a launch target of 2009.