i3 - January/February 2016 - 23

than 30 years, only more recently have researchers developed methods that take the technology
into the ever more nebulous-sounding 4D realm.
By using smart materials that, when exposed to
heat, water or pressure, can eventually transform
or self-assemble-4D printing offers an interesting
method of creating and manufacturing materials
that is expected to wow consumers.
THE 4D SHAPE SHIFT
In the U.S. Skylar Tibbits, a scientist who leads
MIT's Self-Assembly Lab, has long been considered the inventor of the 4D process. By combining
digital manufacturing techniques, he's studied how
materials react in unique situations in recent years.
"The idea behind 4D printing is that you take
multi-material 3D printing," Tibbits explained during a TED Talk, "and you can add a new capability,
which is transformation, that right off the bed, the
parts can transform from one shape to another
shape directly on their own. And this is like robotics without wires or motors. So you completely
print this part, and it can transform into something
else."
Tibbits is working closely with printer maker
Stratasys to pioneer the technology, developing
notable 4D-printed items, like the first-ever shoe
(see sidebar). He's also looking into how 4D printing could enhance additive manufacturing as we
know it, and for industries as far ranging as the
military and the arts.
Much of what we already know about 4D printing was pioneered by researchers at the ARC Centre
of Excellence for Electromaterials Sciences at the
University of Wollongong in Australia. These folks
have been among the first to experiment with 4D
printing techniques by developing materials that
can change under the influence of certain stimuli.
Aside from the scientific "it" factor, the technology
is already offering a great deal of promise, not only
within the tech world, but also for the medical,
military, automotive and robotics industries.
"The cool thing about it is it's a working, functioning device that you just pick up from the
printer," explains Professor Marc in het Panhuis,
who led the research team in its earliest work.
"There's no assembly required."
He and his students have been working on
3D-printed materials that are specifically activated by water. "It's an autonomous valve," he says.
C TA . t e c h / i 3

"There's no input necessary other than water. It closes itself when it detects hot
water." In laymen's terms, these folks have found a way to create a 3D-printed
item with built-in smart technology that allows said item to shape shift using
something as simple as water. Beyond that (prepare to have your mind blown)
it knows when the shape shifting is complete based on a set of determinants
pre-programmed into its very being.
Down the road, the technology could inspire a slew of both practical and
inspiring developments-everything from self-assembling furniture to customfitted fashion.
The U.S. Army has also granted one million dollars to three universities
to further research 4D printing with the aim of developing self-assembling
weapons and tools, as well as color-shifting camouflage to protect troops on
the field. And Airbus SAS France is developing technology that will ideally cool

NOT-SO-EQUAL FOOTING

THE WORLD'S FIRST SELF-ASSEMBLING SHOE
Designers working at MIT's Self-Assembly Lab have created the first
3D-printed shoe that assembles itself. Skylar Tibbits, a U.S. scientist
who leads the 4D printing movement, has been working with design
experts to take his concepts about this next-generation printing
process into the realm of footwear. They are creating what they call
the Minimal Shoe using a combination of 3D printing and stretchable
materials.

The materials, says Tibbits, have the ability to alter their shapes based
on outside stimulation. Not only can the shoe shrink to contract around
a foot, but they are working on having it adapt to various environments
using a material Stratasys, a 3D printer manufacturer in Eden Prairie,
MN, created that shrinks and expands in water.
"If I start running," Tibbits told Smithsonian magazine, "[the sneakers] should adapt to being running shoes. If I play basketball, they adapt
to support my ankles more. If I go on grass, they should grow cleats or
become waterproof if it's raining. It's not like the shoe would understand
that you're playing basketball, of course, but it can tell what kind of energy
or what type of forces are being applied by your foot. It could transform
based on pressure. Or it could be moisture or temperature change."

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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http://www.electromaterials.edu.au/ http://www.electromaterials.edu.au/ http://www.electromaterials.edu.au/ http://CTA.tech/i3

i3 - January/February 2016

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