Drawing comparisons between the gadgets of yesterday and today helps us appreciate the speed at which technology develops. The earliest computers were so slow that they would be overtaken by a modern child’s tablet. Nowadays, your average laptop weighs less than three kilograms.
Back in the 1980s, mobile phones were the size, and weight, of a brick and, once you extended the antenna, you could only use them to make and receive calls. Nowadays, smartphones come in all shape, size and screen resolution and, thanks to the development of apps, can virtually do anything you want.
There’s just one piece of technology that seemingly hasn’t moved with the times: the humble printer. So it was only a matter of time before developers turned their attention to making printers functional beyond the simple black and white or colour option.
When 3D printing was developed in the 1980s, the first printers were specialised, costly and only available to big budget companies. However, with the expiry of 3D printing technology patents, 3D printers have become more affordable. This increased access is pushing the technology to its limits and beyond: nowadays, you can print toys, household items and furniture using a 3D printer. At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, German engineering firm EDAG Genesis even showcased a 3D-printed car. And in China, Shanghai-based company WinsSun Decoration Design Engineering 3D-printed 10 full-sized houses in just 24 hours.
The future of 3D printing is already here and it’s called 4D. Structures printed in 4D are dynamic and capable of changing their shape over time. This is done by layering rigid materials with others that are water-absorbent and which therefore can change in volume.
The potential applications of 4D are various, ranging from home appliances that interact with their environment to medical implants and clothes that can sense the environment and react to varying degrees of humidity and temperature.
Whatever shape 4D printing will take, the change will be significant: printing will no longer be the end stage of a creative process but rather, one of development.