Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology have used 3D printers to create tensegrity objects which can change shape. The 3D printed structures are capable of dramatic expansion and have the potential to be used in biomedicine and perhaps in space where weight and size really matters.
The method of 3D printing shape memory polymers is often referred to as 4D printing for the ability of an object to change shape over time. A number of projects have developed such objects, particularly from Singapore, with researchers developing 4D printed objects in collaboration with Georgia Tech. Similarly, another group of Singapore researchers explored the durability of 4D printed structures. However, we have not seen 4D printing combined with principles of tensegrity before.
