ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY 12 DEEP-SEA SPONGES INSPIRE NEW METAMATERIALS Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University are trying to mimic glass ocean sponges in their design of new metamaterials that simultaneously optimize structural resilience and fluid management. The team developed an auto- mated framework that integrates mechanical and high-fidelity fluid dynamics simulations with optimization tools, enabling users to explore complex design options. Over millions of years, the glass sponge Euplectella aspergillum has become mechanically optimized as a deep-sea structure, living at depths below 500 meters, often for millennia. Key to its survival is the sponge’s skeleton, an intricate structure made of silica. “On the structural side, we tried to create a structure that is lightweight and uses as little material as possible but that is still mechanically rigid and can carry a lot of force without failing,” says Harvard researcher Timon Meier. “And on the fluid dynamic side, we tried to create a structure that is not prone to any vibrations or any fluidic loads induced into the structure.” The team built a high-performance computing framework that combines finite element analysis for mechanics and computational fluid dynamics for flow behavior with multi-objective optimization capabilities. After users specify the characteristics they want to optimize, the framework automat- ically evaluates hundreds of designs through repeated rounds of simulations, gradually improving the concept until further iterations are unlikely to achieve better results. Based on tests of their new metamaterial, the scientists found that the buckling load increased by about 140% compared to randomly selected control structures. “Our results were pretty impressive,” says Harvard researcher Costas Grigoropoulos. “We demonstrated how you can increase the load a structure can carry just by changing its geometrical design and without increasing the volume.” berkeley.edu. SELFCONNECTING THIN-FILM MODULES Researchers from Kyushu University, Japan, created prototypes of thin-film elec- tronic modules that can automatically connect and disconnect with each other. The scientists’ unique mechanism creates new possibilities within electronics and robotics, where circuit-integrated actuator films not only bend, but are modular and can actively connect and reorganize their functions. “Today, most of these devices are made as fixed, one-piece systems,” explains lead researcher Fumihiro Sassa. “We worked to develop an electro- mechanical docking mechanism between these thin-film modules that can connect and disconnect with each other when needed.” The team developed several variations of docking methods— including one with a clawlike attach- ment that can lock onto another device even when powered off. In the group’s prototype, the actuator and electrical circuit are integrated on the same thin film. The actuator layer is composed of polypropylene and polyimide, which feature different thermal expansion coefficients. By incor- porating this film with a gold microheater, it can be warmed up, causing it to bend. The new modules have potential applications in wearable sensors, soft robotics, and medical devices. While development is still in its early stages, the team hopes their research will lead to the creation of devices that can self-assemble, adapt, and even repair themselves. www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en. Rocket Lab Corp., Long Beach, California, will acquire Iridium Communications Inc., McLean, Virginia, in mid-2027. The deal will combine Rocket Lab’s launch capabilities and satellite manufacturing with Iridium’s global satellite communications network, spectrum. rocketlabcorp.com. BRIEF Photo of a glass sponge Euplectella aspergillum. Courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Gulf of Mexico 2012 Expedition. Automatic docking between two thin-film electronic devices shown before and after connection. Courtesy of Kyushu University.
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