A composite expands under light at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Aug. 31, 2020. Scientists at AFRL and Hanyang University, South Korea, through a joint collaborative sponsorship between the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Research Foundation of Korea, are developing smart structural composites that are robust and photothermally responsive, enabling next-generation composite materials that are repairable with the application of light sources. The polymers can act as robotic grippers or actuators that can be used in many real-world applications and withstand loads 24,000 times their mass. (U.S. Air Force photo by Amber Hubbard)