3D printing has not yet become popular, 4D printing technology has come out, which can be automatically deformed
Just when 3D printing is booming all over the world, but the related technology and positioning are still unclear, some people have already begun to enter the next stage. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a so-called "4D printing" technology, which will allow large 3D printed parts to assemble themselves according to pre-set structural and appearance patterns. The emergence of this technology will likely completely subvert the traditional manufacturing industry in the future, making manufacturing easier in some harsh environmental conditions, such as outer space. Traditional industries will be difficult and expensive in the extreme environment of outer space. Development of the technology was led by Skylar Tibbits, director of MIT's Self-Assembly Laboratory. 4D printing technology involves the application of special materials that change their shape when they sense a state of motion, or are exposed to water, air, gravitational fields, magnetic fields, or a change in temperature. The fourth dimension mentioned here refers to this "self-assembly behavior" of materials. In a TED talk, Thibis disclosed a project in partnership with 3D printing company Stratasys. "4D printing is essentially 3D printing with composite materials, and in this way you add a feature, which is deformation," he said. "It's like a robot, just without the wires and the motors. ." Tibis also demonstrated the material samples printed with composite material 3D printing technology deformed into the words "M-I-T" after contact with water. Tibbes says this is the first time that people have inherently added the property of deformation to the body of material itself. The researchers used a special Autodesk software to simulate and optimize how and when the materials used deform. He said: "We can use this software to design microscopic self-assembly systems at the nanoscale, and we can also design large-scale self-assembly systems at the human body level." Tibis also revealed that the MIT Self-Assembly Laboratory is working with a Boston A company called "Geosyntec" collaborates to develop innovative solutions for the manufacture of infrastructure pipes. He said: "Imagine this new type of underground water pipe, it can expand or contract freely, in this way to control the flow and velocity of the water passing through, or it can also squeeze through its own wriggling like a snake, pushing the inner Water flows. Pipes with this incredible function are not expensive, and they don’t require those complicated valve control systems, which is inherent in these pipes, which are inherent in nature.” Just like 3D printing in the traditional sense , 4D printing is not yet mature. However, researchers at MIT's Self-Assembly Lab are convinced that the technology will eventually revolutionize the fields of biological science, materials science, software, robotics, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure, construction, art and even space exploration sexual changes.