A recent publication in Nature Materials demonstrates that complicated shapes can be achieved using a printed material which displays biomimetic properties when immersed in water. 4D printing simplifies the printing process, removing the need to print complicated 3D architectures and consequently reduce resources needed for transportation. Once 3D printing becomes commonplace in industry, the developments in 4D printing will be able to easily integrate into the infrastructure.
4D-printed structure changes shape when placed in water
A team of scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has evolved their microscale 3-D printing technology to the fourth dimension, time.
