Monday, July 22, 2013

4D printing



BBC
Future

11 July 20134D printing: buildings that can change over time

4D printing: buildings that can change over time
(Copyright: Thinkstock)
What if buildings could adapt their shape and form – without any other input from us? Architect Skylar Tibbits says 4D printing could make materials that build themselves.
The way we build our structures has become more and more sophisticated. But the materials we build them from are static, waiting for us to fit them to the required shape.
What if they could assemble themselves – and even change form if they needed to? The emerging technology of 4D printing – where 3D-printed material changes shape over time – means we may be able to build things that can adapt to our use or the environment around them, says MIT’s Skylar Tibbits.
Tibbits believes this technology could lead to more resilient, lighter structures – ones which can respond to the world around them.
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