Thin shape-shifting structures are often limited in their ability to morph into complex and doubly curved shapes. Such transformations require both large in-plane expansion or contraction gradients and control over extrinsic curvature, which are hard to achieve with single materials arranged in simple architectures.

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We solve this problem by 4-dimensional printing of multiple materials in heterogeneous lattice designs. Our material system provides a platform that achieves in-plane growth and out-of-plane curvature control for 4-material bilayer ribs. The lattice design converts this into large growth gradients, which lead to complex, predictable 3-dimensional (3D) shape changes.

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We demonstrate this approach with a hemispherical antenna that shifts resonant frequency as it changes shape and a flat lattice that transforms into a 3D human face. Abstract Shape-morphing structured materials have the ability to transform a range of applications. However, their design and fabrication remain challenging due to the difficulty of controlling the […]

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