Soft robots and biomedical implants that reconfigure themselves upon demand are closer to reality with a new way to print shapeshifting materials. Researchers have developed a method to print objects that can be manipulated to take on alternate forms when exposed to changes in temperature, electric current, or stress. The researchers first reported their ability to make morphing structures in a mold in 2018. But using the same chemistry for 3D printing limited structures to shapes that sat in the same plane. That meant no bumps or other complex curvatures could be programmed as the alternate shape. Overcoming that limitation to decouple the printing process from shaping is a significant step toward more useful materials.
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