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01A speech interface faces the test of everyday use 02A soft suit tackles the moment between sitting and walking 03Engineering a transparent replacement: the corneal material challenge 04A voice in real time: the next challenge for speech interfaces 05Can an AI listener follow the conversation you are in?06Bioretec and the idea of a metal implant that does not stay

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Matter Lab

Smart textiles, soft sensors and biomaterials, explained from the laboratory to their possible uses.

8 stories, newest first

AI illustration: Mature woman examining a translucent sheet in an imagined laboratory.

A soft sheet that reads its own shape

A shape-sensing sheet could help soft devices detect how they bend. The material is a research building block, not a finished health monitor.

By Semnal EditorialNov 4, 2026 / 4 min

Figure 1 from the linked original research article. Read the full caption and methods at the source.

Engineering a transparent replacement: the corneal material challenge

Sep 20, 20264 min

Blue fabric with reflective folds and a smooth surface.

A thin fabric takes on unwanted sound

Aug 26, 20262 min

AI concept illustration: Imagined translucent gel surfaces meeting across a fluid interface.

Strong enough is only the beginning for artificial cartilage

Jul 23, 20264 min

Published research figure showing an embroidered haptic glove, its construction and demonstrations.

Embroidered sensors turn a glove into a touch interface

Jul 8, 20264 min

Published research illustration of a modular electronic-skin sensing architecture.

What it takes for an artificial skin to sense more than pressure

Jun 8, 20262 min

Research photograph supplied by MIT News. Greg Hren.

The fabric that turns vibration into a signal

May 26, 20262 min

AI concept illustration: Imagined flexible circuit ribbon with a symbolic repaired gap.

Can a sensor recover after the material is damaged?

Apr 29, 20262 min