Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
4D-printing
MIT's “Self-Assembly Lab” was established in 2013. Self-Assembly is “a process by which
disordered parts build an ordered structure through local interaction”
, i.e. the material
builds or shifts shape itself. A material can curl, unfold or swell up when exposed to water,
temperature, movement etc. If you have ever seen the wriggling straw wrapper trick you get
the idea. The difference is that while the straw wrapper unfolds in an uncontrolled manner,
self-assembly is about controlling the transformation. This is done by precise geometry: the
actual design of an object programs the way it will transform.
The Self-Assembly Lab and Stratasys have been collaborating on a project which they call
4D printing. The three first dimensions, in this case, were supplied by a Connex multi-mater-
ial 3D printer and the fourth dimension was time, since the material shifts shape over time.
Practical use for 4D printing could be pipes that expand, contract or even undulate. It could
be used in extreme environments like space or for running shoes that react and change shape
depending on how they are being used.
