many of us are still getting used to the ideaof 3d printing. but now, 4d printing is starting to make itsway to the fore. with this 4d technology, materials can assemblethemselves... when they come in contact with some other substance.shin se-min tells us more. with a 3d printer, you can create models ofjust about anything you can imagine.
3d printing in the military, 3d printing is being used in a broad rangeof applications... to make everything from toys and industrial parts to biological materials,leading to a third industrial revolution. while some of us are just getting used tothe concept, a new 4d technology has appeared on the horizon that gives 3d printing newcapabilities.
a string of plastic moves by itself to formletters upon contact with water. a black sheet clinches up into a cube or aball when submerged in water. this is 4d printing technology.it prints out reconfiguring programmable materials that self-assemble when needed,... givinglife to inanimate objects. "... the ability to program physical and biologicalmaterials to change shape, change properties and even compute outside of silicon-basedmatter."
although the technology is in the early stagesof development, experts believe the possible functionalities are endless and could be usedin fields like the military, medicine or construction. the u.s. plans to pour 30 million u.s. dollarsinto 4d technology development this year.
sohn jung-in, arirang news.
