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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.

GM contacting Chevrolet Volt owners as NHTSA investigates battery fire

General Motors on Monday said it is contacting all owners of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to reassure them that the car is safe as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates a battery fire from a Volt that was crash-tested. GM said any Volt owner who had safety concerns would be offered a different GM car as a loaner vehicle. Executives also stressed during a teleconference that the battery issues were seen only in vehicles in the crash tests.

Infiniti Q50 revealed ahead of Detroit

Infiniti has released an image of a new Q50 Eau Rouge concept ahead of its debut at the Detroit Motor Show on January 13. The Eau Rouge is based on the Q50 saloon, and the company says it draws inspiration from the collaboration between Infiniti and Red Bull Racing. On Bing: see pictures of the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Infiniti Q50 review (2013 onwards) Although the Q50 Eau Rouge is only a concept, it hints strongly that we might see a production M3-rival launched by Infiniti in the near future.