A team at Harvard has shown that something as familiar as knitting can be reinvented as cutting-edge technology.
By carefully choosing patterns and materials, the researchers created fabrics that can snap between distinct shapes.
Rather than remaining passive, these textiles can carry out practical jobs, from gripping to changing their stiffness.
The scientists describe them as "smart textiles", because they respond and adapt in useful ways.
Since the fabrics are inherently soft, they are especially promising for the emerging field of soft robotics.
Engineers also imagine adaptive clothing that adjusts to movement, temperature, or the wearer's needs.
In healthcare, the same approach could produce comfortable supports that gently guide or protect the body.
The work is a reminder that old, everyday techniques can still spark genuine innovation.