Nanowerk  September 17, 2024 While computation functions have been demonstrated in mechanical systems, they rely on compliant mechanisms to achieve predefined states, which impose inherent design restrictions that limit their miniaturization, deployment, reconfigurability, and functionality. Researchers at the University of Michigan describe a metamaterial system based on responsive magnetoactive Janus particle (MAJP) swarms with multiple programmable functions. They designed MAJPs with tunable structure and properties in mind, that is, encoded swarming behavior and fully reversible switching mechanisms, to enable programmable dynamic display, non-volatile and semi-volatile memory, Boolean logic, and information encryption functions in soft, wearable devices. According to the researchers […]