Researchers at AMOLF in Amsterdam, together with Leiden University, have developed a new way to control how materials deform under pressure. By adding precise cuts to beams, they change how these structures behave when compressed. This turns a traditional mechanical limitation into a design opportunity.
Normally, slender elements such as beams or columns bend in one of two directions when compressed. This principle dates back to Leonhard Euler in the 18th century. The new research shows that simple cuts can expand this behaviour. Instead of two outcomes, the structure can move into multiple stable states.
Engineers usually treat buckling as a failure to avoid. In this research, it becomes a useful feature. The team added cut patterns to materials such as rubber beams. These beams no longer bend gradually but snap into new shapes.
A single cut already changes the behaviour significantly. The beam can move between three stable positions instead of two. More complex cut patterns create step-by-step shape changes. They also improve energy absorption and allow the structure to store mechanical information. In this way, the material becomes programmable through its geometry.
This approach offers designers a material-efficient way to create multifunctional structures. Instead of adding components or systems, the performance sits within the material itself. The design relies on geometry rather than extra materials. Such behaviour could support adaptive façades, responsive interior elements, and transformable products. Structures can react to pressure or environmental forces without complex technology. This reduces material use and simplifies construction.
According to lead researcher Bernat Dura Faulí, cut patterns act as a toolbox to control elastic instabilities. What engineers once saw as a weakness now offers new functionality. Designers can use these principles to create mechanical metamaterials with programmable behaviour.
This research shows how structure and geometry can replace complexity. It opens the door to scalable and more sustainable design solutions across architecture, product design, and engineering.
Source & image: AMOLF