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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Future Smartphones Or Wearables Could Have These 3D Metal Buttons That Only Appear When Needed

Imagine touching a flat metal surface and watching it suddenly rise into a three-dimensional shape with nothing more than a beam of light. No wires, no motors, no batteries, and no moving parts hidden underneath. It may sound like science fiction, but researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have made it a reality.

The team has developed a new type of metal structure that changes its shape when exposed to light. Even more impressive, it does not need any special light-absorbing coating, which has been a major requirement in previous technologies. This breakthrough could lead to smarter wearable devices, interactive touch surfaces, soft robots, and futuristic displays.

The research has been published in the journal Advanced Science.

A New Way to Make Metal Move

Modern technology is becoming thinner, lighter, and more flexible. Future devices such as wearable electronics, soft robots, and interactive displays need materials that can stay flat when not in use but quickly transform into different shapes whenever needed.

To solve this challenge, Professor Il-Kwon Oh and his research team at KAIST designed a special metal sheet that can "pop up" into a three-dimensional structure simply by shining light on it.

Unlike traditional systems, this new technology does not rely on electrical wiring, mechanical actuators, or bulky motors. Instead, light itself becomes the driving force that changes the metal's shape.

Inspired by the Art of Kirigami

The researchers used the ancient Japanese art of kirigami as inspiration.

Kirigami is similar to origami, but instead of only folding paper, it also involves carefully cutting it to create complex three-dimensional designs.

Using this concept, the researchers created tiny cuts and folding patterns in a flat sheet of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape-memory alloy. These carefully designed patterns allow the flat metal to rise into a predetermined 3D shape whenever it is heated by light.

This clever design makes the transformation accurate, repeatable, and highly controllable.

What Is a Shape-Memory Alloy?

The metal used in this research is called a shape-memory alloy (SMA).

Shape-memory alloys are special materials that can "remember" their original shape. Even if they are bent, stretched, or flattened, they return to their programmed form when heated to a certain temperature.

Nickel-titanium alloy, commonly called NiTi or Nitinol, is one of the most popular shape-memory materials because it is:

  • Lightweight

  • Strong

  • Flexible

  • Capable of producing powerful movement

Because of these properties, NiTi is already used in medical devices, robotics, aerospace engineering, and wearable technology.

However, there has always been one major limitation.

The Problem with Previous Technologies

Although NiTi changes shape when heated, it does not absorb near-infrared (NIR) light very well.

To make it respond to light, researchers usually had to apply additional light-absorbing coatings such as:

  • Graphene oxide

  • Polymer composites

  • Titanium nitride (TiN) films

These coatings worked, but they created several problems.

Over time, the coatings could crack or peel away after repeated use. They also required extra manufacturing steps, making production more expensive.

In addition, the coatings increased the material's heat capacity, meaning it took longer to heat up and cool down. As a result, the metal responded more slowly.

The KAIST team wanted to remove these limitations completely.

A Smart Solution Using UV Lasers

Instead of adding a separate coating, the researchers used a single ultraviolet (UV) laser process.

The UV laser performed two jobs at the same time.

First, it cut the tiny kirigami patterns needed for the metal to fold and rise.

Second, the laser naturally changed the metal's surface by creating an ultra-thin micro- and nano-porous layer of titanium oxide (TiOₓ).

This new surface absorbs near-infrared light much more efficiently.

In simple words, the laser transformed the metal into a material that naturally captures light without needing any extra coating.

This makes manufacturing easier, reduces costs, improves durability, and allows the metal to react faster.

Programming Both Shape and Light

One of the most exciting parts of this research is that the scientists were able to program two different properties into the same piece of metal.

They could control:

  • How the metal bends and changes shape.

  • How efficiently different parts absorb light.

By changing design features such as hinge width and slit width, they could precisely control how high the metal rises and how much force it produces.

This means engineers can design metal structures that move exactly as required for different applications.

Metal That Moves in Sequence

The researchers went one step further by giving different parts of the metal different light-absorbing abilities.

Even when the entire sheet receives the same amount of light, different sections begin moving at different times.

This creates controlled, step-by-step movement.

The researchers call this spatiotemporal actuation control.

Instead of using electronic circuits to control the timing, the timing is built directly into the material itself.

In other words, the metal already "knows" which section should move first and which should move later.

The researchers describe this as a type of photonic logic, where light controls movement without traditional electronics.

From Pop-Up Letters to Touch Feedback

To demonstrate the technology, the team combined their shape-changing metal with a multi-channel near-infrared LED system.

Each kirigami section could be activated independently using light.

The researchers successfully created a display where the letters:

K → A → I → S → T

appeared one after another.

They also developed tactile navigation signals that could provide physical touch feedback, helping users feel different directions.

This demonstrates that the technology can be used not only for visual displays but also for interactive touch-based communication.

Future Applications

The possibilities for this technology are enormous.

In the future, it could be used to create:

  • Wearable devices that change shape based on the user's needs.

  • Soft robots that move using only light.

  • Shape-changing smartphone surfaces with physical buttons that appear only when needed.

  • Interactive displays that users can both see and feel.

  • Adaptive surfaces for medical devices and industrial equipment.

  • Smart control panels that provide tactile feedback without mechanical buttons.

  • Lightweight robotic systems with fewer electrical components.

Since the technology removes the need for coatings, wires, and traditional actuators, future devices could become thinner, lighter, and more reliable.

A Step Toward Smarter Materials

Professor Il-Kwon Oh explained that the team's laser programming technology allows both mechanical movement and light-absorbing properties to be built directly into a single metallic structure during manufacturing.

Because everything is created in one process, the system becomes easier to manufacture while offering greater durability and performance.

This innovation represents an important step toward intelligent materials that respond directly to light.

Conclusion

KAIST's new light-driven shape-changing metal demonstrates how advanced materials can simplify future technology. By combining kirigami-inspired design with a single UV laser process, researchers eliminated the need for separate coatings while making the metal highly responsive to light.

The result is a smart metallic structure that can pop up into three-dimensional shapes, move in carefully programmed sequences, and even create tactile feedback using only light.

As this technology continues to develop, it could transform wearable electronics, soft robotics, interactive displays, medical devices, and many other fields. One day, physical buttons, adaptive surfaces, and shape-changing robots may work silently and efficiently, powered by nothing more than a beam of light.

Reference: H. Kim, M. Mahato, H. Ju, et al. “ Monolithic UV-Laser Programming of Photothermally Meta-Morphing SMA Structures: Dual-Encoded Kirigami Mechanics and Photonic Absorbance.” Advanced Science 13, no. 31 (2026): e74930. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.74930

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