We’ve come a long way when it comes to material. What once could only be a solid wood structure or a soft sponge, can now combine elements of both. Rutgers University-New Brunswick engineers have now created 4D materials that are flexible and lightweight, and could serve a purpose in applications such as better shock absorption, morphing airplanes, drone wings, soft robotics, and implantable biomedical devices.
The research is currently published in the journalMaterials Horizons.
4D打印的过程类似于3D打印，其中4D打印的技术基于将数字蓝图转换为物理对象。但是有一个主要区别。机械和航空航天工程系助理教授霍恩·李（Howon Lee）表示，它使用特殊材料和复杂的设计来打印可以根据环境条件（例如温度）变形和改变形状的物体。
4D打印中的第四维是时间，它使材料变为不同的形状。
“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,” Lee said.
4D-printed metamaterials can be temporarily transformed into any deformed shape and then returned to their original shape on demand when heated. The scale bar is 2 millimeters. Credit: Chen Yang/Rutgers University-New Brunswick
不rmally, the shape and properties of metamaterials are irreversible, so the Rutgers engineers tuned their plastic-like materials with heat, so the material stays stiff when struck and becomes soft, like a sponge, to absorb shock.
The stiffness can be modified more than 100-fold in temperatures between 73 degrees and 194 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the material can be transformed into any shape and can return to its original shape when heated.
The engineers hope this material can be used for airplane or done wings that change shape, solar panels, and less painful inserts or implants for medical devices.
Filed Under:Product design
