4D-printed structure changes shape in water

Feb 02, 2016

Researchers at Wyss, at Harward University and Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a fourth dimension (4D), time technology by evolving their microscale 3-D printing technology.

The technology is inspired by the way plants respond and change their form in response to environmental stimulant. The team of scientists has unveiled an orchid-shaped hydrogel composite 4D structures containing aligned cellulose fibrils that change its shape when immersed in the water. The mathematical model developed by the team could precisely predict how the composite will swell in water.

This work explains how much advancement we have made in programmable materials assembly and have gone beyond integration form and function to create dynamic architectures. 4D printing combines materials science and mathematics in a big innovative way. Mathematical models now could prescribe the printing pathways required to achieve the desired shape for materials.

What’s is unique about this 4D printing advancement made by this team establishes a new platform for printing dynamic and self assembling structures that could be applied to a broad range of industrial and medical applications. The new method opens up new potential applications for 4D printing technology, including soft electronics, biomedical devices, smart textiles, soft electronics and tissue engineering.

Source:http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/01/4d-printed-structure-changes-shape-when-placed-in-water/