自上世纪七十年代以来，三維打印已经得到了长足的发展； TED 研究员斯凯拉·蒂比茨正致力于塑造未来的发展方向, 他称它为四维打印, 所谓的第四维就是时间. 这种新兴技术将会让我们打印出可以自我重塑或者自我组装的物体。想象一下吧：一个打印出来的立方体在你眼前完成自我折叠，或者一条打印出来的管道可以根据需要自我膨胀或者收缩。

斯凯拉·蒂比茨: 4D打印机的诞生

Programming materials to shape and build themselves is moving from nano labs to real-world construction. A single strand printed with multiple materials can fold into the letters MIT when dropped in water, all on its own. This approach could solve stubborn problems in infrastructure, like pipes that adapt to changing flow needs without manual labor. By merging lessons from molecular self-assembly and human-scale design, entire industries could be reimagined.

Self-Assembling Materials Are Transforming Manufacturing and Design

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