4D Printing May Bolster Arsenal of US Army

[Youbetternot]

Yes, I said it 4D printing. The US army research office is giving $855,000 to three universities to make 4D objects. I think this very cool we will see 4D printing, technology never stop to amaze. 4D printing is which is the ability to 3D-print objects that can change their shape or appearance over time (the fourth dimension).

4D printing created this cube, which self-assembled once submerged in water.

 

The 3D printing revolution shows no signs of letting up, and now has made its way on to the next dimension. 

The U.S. Army Research Office has awarded $855,000 to three universities to make advances in 4D printing, which is the ability to 3D-print objects that can change their shape or appearance over time (the fourth dimension), or in response to some condition. Potential uses for the technology are endless, but ideas that have been floated include camouflage that can change color to match its surroundings and weapons that can assemble themselves.

"Rather than construct a static material or one that simply changes its shape, we're proposing the development of adaptive, biomimetic composites that re-program their shape, properties or functionality on demand, based upon external stimuli," said Anna Balazs, a researcher at Harvard, in a statement. The U.S. Army awarded additional 4D-printing grants to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Illinois.

Research in this project will concentrate on 4D-printing materials at the microscopic scale. Other researchers have shown they can 4D-print larger objects like self-assembling cubes and other shapes.

One of the limitations of 3D printing, wherein a printer lays down successive layers of material like plastic to create objects as diverse as guns and toys, is that assembly is often required. But 4D printing offers the ability to make things that literally pull themselves together.

 

source: http://news.yahoo.com/4d-printing-may-bolster-arsenal-us-army-194155460.html

[R4STABAN]

Slightly OT, but seems to me that the term 'dimension' is not well understood by whoever has named this '4D'

[miyabwah]

4D printing sounds like it's going to be for lazy people.

Sent from my iGeneric using iWontStopBlabbering v7.42

[LOST TALE]

Slightly OT, but seems to me that the term 'dimension' is not well understood by whoever has named this '4D'

lol totally! maybe he reffered to the time dimension. Thats would be my guess.

<<their shape or appearance over time>>

trolling with french '' ''

[Morpheus]

i could have sworn i read something about them not even being sure a 4th dimension exists? correct me if i'm wrong though

[Kilerbomb]

i could have sworn i read something about them not even being sure a 4th dimension exists? correct me if i'm wrong though

 Many people think of the 4th dimension to be time. Either way, this is not a 4D printer...

[Morpheus]

 Many people think of the 4th dimension to be time. Either way, this is not a 4D printer...

that's for sure

[sysloc]

Saying it can print the 4th dimension of time implies it can print time. Now that, would be awesome.

[Inkz]

Only 4D? I can print a 7D picture and upload it in only .02 nanoseconds with my 9960x 22 core CPU and my 2TB of 1.3Thrz RAM

[TopWargamer]

Awesome to hear. Hopefully 4D printing will be around whenever 3D printing becomes more of a thing and is more affordable. Then a few years after that, 4D printing should be affordable for common people.

 

[Beskamir]

So proteins are 4D? Who would have thought. Seriously though the 4D naming thing is stupid. It should be called something like self-assembling/changing 3D print.