Core Insights - A research team led by Rice University has developed a new type of metamaterial that combines flexibility and high strength, capable of rapidly changing its size and shape through remote control, marking a significant breakthrough in the field of implantable and ingestible medical devices [1][2]. Group 1: Metamaterial Characteristics - The newly designed metamaterial exhibits exceptional mechanical strength, able to withstand compression loads exceeding ten times its own weight, while maintaining stability under extreme temperature changes and harsh chemical environments [1]. - This metamaterial incorporates specific geometric features such as trapezoidal support segments and reinforcing beams, allowing it to exist in multiple stable states and lock into new shapes after external driving forces are removed [1]. Group 2: Manufacturing and Functionality - The metamaterial is manufactured using 3D printing, creating interconnected microstructural units that can rapidly switch between "open" and "closed" states without the need for continuous energy supply to maintain the new shape [1][2]. - By combining multiple basic units like building blocks, the team has constructed complex three-dimensional structures that can deform as a whole and exhibit peristaltic motion under external magnetic field stimulation [2]. Group 3: Medical Applications - This remotely controllable metamaterial has the potential to enable precise positioning, targeted drug delivery, or the application of controlled mechanical stimuli at specific locations within the body [2]. - The research team is collaborating with surgeons to design a wireless fluid control system to address significant unmet medical needs in current clinical practice [2].