ATLANTA— Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a printer that could streamline the creation of self-assembling structures that can change shape after being exposed to heat and other stimuli. They claim the breakthrough could accelerate the use of 4D printing in aerospace, medicine and other industries. It could also be used to print electrical wiring.
“We are on the cusp of creating a new generation of devices that could vastly expand the practical applications for 3D and 4D printing,” says H. Jerry Qi, Ph.D., a professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech. “Our prototype printer integrates many features that appear to simplify and expedite the processes used in traditional 3D printing.