Lot C Vintage Car / Truck Pitman Arm / Pitman Arm 78-3590 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.

2011 Kia Picanto revealed

The 2011 Kia Picanto teased in a sketch ahead of Geneva 2011 Kia are on a bit of a roll at the moment (as are sister company Hyundai) with cars like the new 2011 Kia Optima and the new Kia Sportage taking Kia’s offerings to a much higher level in terms of design and style. And perception of quality. That upwards march looks set to continue with Kia’s version of the Hyundai i10 – the 2011 Kia Picanto – which is due to launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011.

Mercedes GLA (new A-Class SUV) caught on video

The SUV version of the new A-Class – the Mercedes GLA – has been caught on video winter testing ahead of a likely debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The new Mercedes A-Class is now out in the wild, and this morning we had news of UK pricing for the new Mercedes CLA – the ‘Coupe’ A-Class – and now we have news of the next instalment of Mercedes’ A-Class adventure – the Mercedes GLA. We had video back in December of the new Mercedes GLA, but this time the GLA is out playing in winter climes as it gets close to its first reveal.