14 DAY TRIAL // We live in a three dimensional world, but 4D still crops up in conversations sometimes, whether to describe the fourth dimension of a cinema (scent) or to hypothesize on metaphysics, it's the same underlying principle: wanting to surpass humanity's current level and/or understanding of whatever the topic is about, usually the human condition.
The U.S. Army decided to go with something more down to earth for now: 4D printing. Although it's not its latest investments that I'm are looking at now. Instead, it's a video Kinematics showed off.
If 3D printing means having a complete item come out/off of a box-like, tube-like or table-shaped contraption, 4D printing means creating a similar object but which can change over time, maybe even self-assemble.
Basically, the fourth dimension represents change. Watch the video above to see how Kinematics could make this dream happen.
The main advantage would be space saving: a 3D printed item could, in theory, be squashed as it were, leaving it to itself to assume the correct form (by folding, swelling or whatever other process) after coming out of the printer.