4D printing takes 3D printing a step further to create objects that can move or reconfigure themselves on demand once fabricated.

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While it is still in its nascent stages, researchers at Rice University recently created a new material and process that paves the way for better control of the shape they take. The team of engineers developed a polymer ink and a corresponding printing method for fabricating objects that can be manipulated to take on new forms when exposed to changes in temperature, electric current, or stress.

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New objects that can potentially be printed once their process is fully optimized in the future include soft robots and biomedical implants that reconfigure themselves upon demand. Rice engineer Rafael Verduzco and graduate student Morgan Barnes led the development of a method to 3D-print materials that morph from one shape to another through application of temperature, electric current, or stress. Calling their […]

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