3D-printed material breakthrough could enable new twist for vehicle safety
Published: 24 October 2025
Researchers from universities in Scotland and Italy are behind the development of the material, which has a unique lattice shape that allows it to twist into itself to effectively protect against a range of impact types and severities. Professor Shanmugam Kumar (JWSE) led the research. The team’s ‘adaptive twisting metamaterials’, outlined in a paper published in the journal Advanced Materials, take a different approach to impact protection materials currently in use.