4D Printing, Volume 2

4Design for 4D Printing

Rational knowledge and rational activities certainly constitute the major part of scientific research, but are not all there is to it. The rational part of research would, in fact, be useless if it were not complemented by the intuition that gives scientists new insights and makes them creative. These insights tend to come suddenly and, characteristically, not when sitting at a desk working out the equations, but when relaxing, in the bath, during a walk in the woods, on the beach, etc. During these periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight to scientific research. (Capra 1975)

4.1. Introduction

The previous chapters have shown that understanding 4D printing in its entirety is a very complex process. This technology requires the consideration of multiple, generally disjointed forms of expertise (businesses and disciplinary fields). At the same time, it introduces new opportunities and freedoms to develop and manufacture objects and structures capable of evolving in their usage environments. The resulting potential technological applications give way to needs intimately linked to new modes of object-environment, object-object and object-human interaction. In this context, most of the research work – which is part of the supply and demonstration logic – suggests a promising future. But to transform the trial, it ...