4D Printing: No, I'm Not Kidding

First, we have Cody Wilson and his movement to use 3D printing for firearm manufacturing.  Now, we have a TED Conference that highlights a potential future where objects can be printed in 4D, existing as something now but changing over time.

From the great sociologist, Xzibit.

Skylar Tibbits, the man that spoke at the TED Conference, said that an example of the "4D" component of 4D printing would be that a printed object might react to heat or moisture, or any environmental stimulus for that matter.  In fact, it would react on its own accord, without the need for a human's touch.

The biggest hurdle that must be conquered before 4D printing can bypass our theoretical "what ifs" is the development of a printing process that can successfully print multiple components in different states.  For example, if I were to print a action figure of SpongeBob SquarePants out, with a base for his feet to be on, the difficulty would be in getting SpongeBob's body to react to, say moisture, while the base remained solid. In fact, Tibbits spoke of an example where a 3D-printed straight line was put into water, transforming into a cube as it was submerged. Awesome.

While all of this technology is certainly fascinating, the effect on society that it can have is where Tibbits' most important words came about.  Speaking to CNN, Tibbits explained that, once achieved, this technology can be applied to machinery or other technologies that would alleviate the need for a human's presence in harsh, inhospitable environments.  In a very fantastical theoretical example, Tibbits said that, potentially, materials could be dropped off into some area, one that is very humid for example, and assemble themselves as they react to moisture.

However, where would novel technology be without the military defense?  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is actually interested in dissolving technologies that would, if left behind on the battlefield, deteriorate if left in prolonged heat or moisture.

I would love to wittily close out this article, but I believe John Breeden of GCN.com, where this report first came from, says it best:

[4D printing] is another indication of how quickly things are progressing with additive manufacturing, that we might get to the fourth dimension before we master the first three." (John Breeden II, GCN.com)