Magnetic jamming allows materials to switch from a stiff, solid-like state to a soft, fluid-like state using only wireless magnetic fields

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1102173

"traditionally relies on difficult to miniaturize vacuum pumps/ tubing, overcome using magnetic composite particles that can be made to attract/ cling to one another stiffening material when magnetic field applied... falls apart softening material when field switched off... mm-sized, dice-shaped particles made from magnetic and non-magnetic materials surrounded by wireless magnetic coils controlling aggregation... future: scale down to µm-level for microrobotics, smart materials, biomedical, micro-manipulation"