The world of technology moves at warp speed. Just when we’re trying to wrap our heads around the latest concept that is promising to change our lives, a new and improved version comes along. The world of printing was set to be revolutionised by the advent of affordable 3D printers capable of creating solid shapes and structures on-the-fly from digital models. However, before 3D printers have even hit the shelves, the concept of 4D printing has emerged and promises to completely change printing technology in exciting new ways.
Changing the Concept of 3D Printing
4D printing uses a specialised form of 3D printer. 3D printers are able to create solid shapes by using a layering process. Some printers form designs by softening and melting materials while others cut out layers and join them together. The techniques may differ, but the concept of 3D printing is to build up successive layers to create a fully-formed shaped. 4D printing uses this layering process and applies it to create intelligent models that have been programmed to independently transform and assemble into different designs.
How 4D Printing Works
4D Printers are specially adapted 3D printers that can use “smart” materials during the layering process. This smart material is bonded with standard strands of plastic and is capable of absorbing water. When a shape or model is printed, the smart material containing the water is able to expand, forcing the rest of the structure to start twisting or bending. Thus, when a printed model is being assembled it is also being programmed to react and form a new shape as the water layer expands.
The Future of 4D Printing
Working at the forefront of 4D printing research, MIT researcher Skylar Tibbits is confident that it could be used in all forms of design, construction and manufacture. Comparing the concept to biology at a recent TED talk, Tibbits stresses that the future of 4D printing will lead to innovative designs that are capable of self-assembly, replication and repair. Tibbits uses the analogy of a computer program being executed to illustrate how these designs may look like simple structures, but they are capable of transforming into complex and highly functional systems.
Possible Applications
Although 4D printing is in the early stages of research and development, the possibility of rigid shapes completely transforming themselves into a completely different yet stable structure brings many exciting possibilities. The early prototypes on display at the TED talk used water as a form of energy to transform into a different shape, but this activation energy could come from several different sources. Pressure, temperature change, vibrations and even light could prove to be effective sources of activation energy. All of these potential energy sources can be found in space, so Tibbits proposes that 4D printing could create simple designs that can be shipped and stored compactly. When deployed on board a space shuttle or even the International Space Station, these designs could be transformed into much more complex structures. However, most people will probably be more excited to hear that the self-building principle of 4D printing could revolutionise the concept of flat pack furniture. The programmable objects could transform from simple designs into pieces of furniture without any user assembly.