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  "path": "/news/2026-02-rice-robots-smart-materials.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-24T15:20:04.000Z",
  "site": "https://techxplore.com",
  "tags": [
    "Robotics"
  ],
  "textContent": "Rice becomes weaker when compressed quickly, while staying stronger under slow pressure—a discovery enabling scientists to design a new material that could be used to build \"soft\" robots that change stiffness automatically and protective gear that adapts to impact speed. Researchers harnessed this effect to design a new \"metamaterial\"—an artificially engineered composite structure designed to behave in ways impossible for natural materials.",
  "title": "Rise of the rice robots—creating active smart materials"
}