A group of researchers from universities around the world collaborated to create a shape-shifting robot that can reversibly switch between solid and liquid, according to a recently released study.

The study said the transforming robot, a class of magnetoactive phase transitional matter (MPTM), can transition between states through alternating magnetic field heating and ambient cooling.

A video released with the study shows a robot that resembles a Lego person changing state to escape from a cage and then reassume its original shape.

According to news reports, the study was a collaboration between members of Sun Yat-sen University, Carnegie Mellon University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Zhejiang University.

The study said MPTMs are promising for future applications in flexible electronics, health care, and robotics that depend on dynamic shape reconfigurability and repair. Credit: Sun Yat-Sen University via Storyful