Introducing the 4D printer

A team of engineers at the ARC Center of Excellence for Electromaterials Science have developed a 4D printer.

The new technology builds objects that can change based on the physics of the materials used. For example, extruded objects in multiple materials can be used to build a valve that shuts down when hot water hits it, or a working mechanism that can be printed out in one piece.

“So, as in 3D printing, a structure is built up layer by layer into the desired shape, but these new materials are able to transform themselves from one shape into another, much like a child’s Transformer toy,” said the team in a press release.

The objects printed with the 4D printer are essentially mechanisms that are printed as one continuous process. Just as conductive parts can be laid inside of a 3D printed object, these new printers can lay down filaments that are heat-sensitive, pressure-sensitive, even those that can move over time.

“The cool thing about it is, is it’s a working functioning device that you just pick up from the printer,” said ACES Professor Marc Panhuis. “There’s no other assembly required.”

The developers hope these printers will usher in a new era of “soft” robotics that can move by mimicking biological organisms or by inflating or deflating rubber parts.