Reprogrammable snapping morphogenesis in ribbon-cluster meta-units using stored elastic energy

Snapping, driven by stored elastic energy, enables versatile and rapid shape changes in nature; yet replicating such autonomous, reprogrammable morphogenesis in free-standing volumetric structures remains elusive. Here we report a lantern-shaped ribbon-cluster meta-unit that harnesses programmable and reprogrammable elastic energy to achieve over 13 distinct volumetric snapping morphologies from a single unit. Governed by three Euler angles, the meta-unit post-fabrication offers a tunable mechanical design space spanning up to quadrastable states. Unlike single-ribbon or mechanism-based designs, our system autonomously selects snapping pathways via nastic coupling between multiple ribbons, enabling the inverse design of complex snapping morphologies. We harness magnetically actuated bud-to-bloom and tristable morphogenesis to enable fast, non-invasive grasping and remote flow regulation in confined environments. These results establish a general framework for architected materials with programmable shape, stability and function, offering potential applications in soft robotics, deployable devices and mechanical logic.