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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.

Bentley Continental GT V8 unveiled

Bentley Continental GT V8 - heading for a debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show The Bentley Continental GT V8 debut is at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but Bentley has revealed their new V8 in GT and GTC guise this morning. The Bentley Continental GT V8, and for that matter the Continental GTC V8, are Bentley’s nod to the more constrained times in which we are living. Well, constrained is relative, but all car makers need to be seen to be cutting emissions and improving economy now the technology is there to do it.

Forza Motorsport 5 v Gran Turismo 6

Fans of driving simulators are usually torn between two great racing games: Forza (on Xbox) and Gran Turismo (on Playstation). There are new versions of both games due soon – Forza Motorsport 5 and Gran Turismo 6. But which one are we most excited about?