digitalmaterial

Digital material is a class of materials whose physical properties or configuration can be controlled by digital information. In this sense, a digital material responds to digital signals or data streams, enabling programmable behavior without changing the material’s chemical composition. Examples include materials whose stiffness, shape, color, or permeability can be adjusted on demand through embedded actuators, smart materials, or tunable microstructures.

Digital materials combine elements from materials science, computer science, and digital fabrication. They often rely on sensors and controllers to translate data into material responses, and on design methods that map desired behaviors to material configurations. The approach supports adaptive performance, context-aware operation, and rapid iteration in product development.

Applications span additive manufacturing with multi-material systems, programmable textiles, soft robotics, adaptive metamaterials, and architectural components that adjust to load or climate. In research, digital materials enable experimentation with programmable matter and the exploration of how computation can influence physical form.

Industry use varies; some vendors market lines of digital materials as combinations of materials that can be selected and controlled by digital print schedules. Related terms include smart materials, metamaterials, programmable matter, digital fabrication, and adaptive systems.