Jetta Led Taillights Hybrid 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.

2014 Nissan Qashqai: The tease for the new Qashqai begins

The new Nissan Qashqai is an important car for Nissan as it needs to keep the momentum going that the first Qashqai started as a real alternative to a small family hatch. And with just 10 days to go until the new Qashqai gets revealed, Nissan has started the tease with the single photo of the new Qashqai (above) lurking under a dust sheet. We’re expecting the new Qashqai to take strong styling cues from the new Nissan X-Trail revealed at Frankfurt, and much of what underpins the new Qashqai is similar to the new X-Trail.

New fuel marker to prevent fraud

A NEW RED DYE fuel marker is being introduced by the British and Irish governments to tackle fraud. The illegal use of cheaper fuel in the UK means criminals avoid paying tax and can sell it on at a lower rate than normal fuel from a petrol station. The new marker will make it harder for criminals to disguise fuel by removing the red dye.