In what is being hailed as the next great advancement in 3D printing, scientists have been able to get a 3D printed shape to change form when it is exposed to water, bringing 3D printing squarely into the realm of the fourth dimension. Although the only examples we’ve seen so far are with relatively flat prints (which arguably subtracts one “D” from the claim) the new procedure is one which is groundbreaking for the technology.
The process uses cellulose fibers which, when aligned in a particular way and exposed to water, swell in order to change shape. This is similar to how a bimetallic strip in a thermostat works, but they really took their inspiration from biological processes in plants that allow them to change shape according to environmental conditions. It’s hard to tell if this new method of printing will forever alter the landscape of 3D printing but, for now, it’s an interesting endeavor that will be worth watching. The video after the break shows a fast-motion print using the technique, followed by a demo of the print submersed in water.
We often see new technological advancements that use biology as a springboard for new ideas, and this one is no different. There have been building structures inspired by pinecones and this Processing hack inspired by squid. Biology is all around us, and any of it could be used for inspiration for your next project!
[Image Credit: A.S. Gladman, E. Matsumoto, L.K. Sanders, and J.A. Lewis / Wyss Institute at Harvard University]
Couple of questions, how does it react to humidity? Can it change shape to a greater or lesser extent according to humidity? Also how long does it take to dry, and I assume, return to it’s original shape? This could have some interesting applications.
How repeatable is this as well?
Asserting this is “bringing 3D printing squarely into the realm of the fourth dimension” strikes me as a bit of hyperbole.
It is absolute gibberish!
HaD is “recruiting”…
Humor: unacceptable and immoral.
I wasn’t aware that it was humor.
The maths routines required to design the extrusion path correctly are proprietary, so good luck emulating the technique.
I guess the things that happen if I accidentally put a PLA piece in the dishwasher don’t count/
I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that was the inspiration.
Why is it printer on a silicon wafer? Not the cheapest I would say.
Because they can and it looks cool, of course.
Maybe they needed great uniformity of the printing bed and it seems like a silicon wafer would be the cheapest commercially available option with such high uniformity.
I want to rib it on my cheek.
“Biology is all around us, and any of it could be used for inspiration for your next project!”
Watch for my upcoming series on sex hacks.
This is neat, but what are the practical applications?
Please don’t use offensive language like the “p” word here.
+1 :)
O…k…. I’m all for the “because why not?” mentality. Legitimately curious as to what you could do with this though.
We really need to cut it out with this 4D bullshit in our vernacular.
Oh that bed looks lush. Like a slice of 2001 monolith. Take my moneys!!