Brigham Young University engineers have created "developable mechanisms" that they hope to use in components like surgical instruments, adjustable airplane wings, robotic arms, or vehicle cylinders. Watch the demo on Tech Briefs TV, to see how the flat shapes can be converted into 3D figures.

"These new discoveries make it possible to build complex machines that integrate with surfaces to be very compact, but can deploy and do complex tasks," said researcher Larry Howell, professor of mechanical engineering at BYU, in a recent press release.

This week's Question: What do you think? Will 'Developable Mechanisms' Solve Complex Tasks?

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