4D printed metamaterials take shape for morphing wings

Engineers in the US have created 4D printed materials with potential applications in morphing aircraft wings, soft robotics and tiny implantable biomedical devices.

4D printing is based on additive manufacturing technology, but uses special materials and sophisticated designs to print objects that change shape with environmental conditions such as temperature acting as a trigger, said Howon Lee, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Time is the fourth dimension that allows them to morph into a new shape. The research is published in the journal Materials Horizons.

"We believe this unprecedented interplay of materials science, mechanics and 3D printing will create a new pathway to a wide range of exciting applications that will improve technology, health, safety and quality of life," said Lee, who is senior author of the paper.

The engineers have created a new class of metamaterials that are engineered to have unusual and counterintuitive properties that are not found in nature.