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What new invention could one day improve a vehicle’s gas mileage?

Answer: smart morphable surfaces



Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing a material called a smart morphable surface, which could someday be used on vehicles to reduce wind resistance.

A proof-of-concept model that looks like a golf ball demonstrates how the outer surface of the object can be made smooth and then dimpled and then smooth again by sucking air in and out of the object. Being able to control the surface of an object in such a way could allow car makers to maximize fuel efficiency.