MIT now talking about 4D printing.

[gunug]

Essentially in the video included at the link below they drop a 3D printed tube into water (presumably cool/cold) and it forms into the shape you'd like it to be in.  I don't think I'd call it 4D printing but I'm not sure what to call it.

QUOTE

Leave it to MIT to come out with 4D printing, just as 3D printing seems to be really hitting its stride. They can’t just leave well enough alone, can they? We’ve talked a little bit about the potential of 3D printing and the pretty amazing things they can do, so now we’re moving on to 4D.

While the human eye can’t technically “see” the 4th dimension, in this case, we’re just talking about a 3D design with the potential for “embedded transformation.” So, we’re talking about the possibility of robotics without the traditional mechanics.

http://www.ecnmag.com/blogs/2013/03/forget...3d-say-hello-4d

[Xairbusdriver]

I agree with you. There's nothing "4D" about this process. In fact, it seems to be only a 'process' of 'printing a certain type of material in the correct places so that the printed object will react in a prescribed way when placed in water (or some other liquid or gas or even an oven?). The 'printed' item still has just the three dimensions of length, width and depth, as far as I can see. I've usually heard of 'time' (or 'space-time') as being the accepted fourth dimension but other phenomena could be used, ie; color, odor, temperature, magnetism, electrical charge, etc.

If the demo is what the author (or MIT) calls 4D, they need look no farther than a potter or even Henry Ford to see things changed from one shape to another... right before your eyes! And no water tanks required!    

OTOH, maybe they are using 'time' as their meaning of a fourth 'dimension.' Can I then say that my body is an example of the fourth 'dimension?' It certainly has changed... over time!