ATTICE STRUCTURE

Shape-shifting structured lattices via multimaterial 4D printing

Shape-shifting structured lattices via multimaterial 4D printing. J.W. Boley, W.M. van Rees, C. Lissandrello, M.N. Horenstein, R.L. Truby, A. Kotikian, J.A. Lewis, and L. MahadevanProc. Natl. Acad.  Sci.116 (42) 20856-20862, 2019.
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Abstract

Thin shape-shifting structures are often limited in their ability to morph into complex and doubly curved shapes. Such transformations require both large in-plane expansion or contraction gradients and control over extrinsic curvature, which are hard to achieve with single materials arranged in simple architectures. We solve this problem by 4-dimensional printing of multiple materials in heterogeneous lattice designs. Our material system provides a platform that achieves in-plane growth and out-of-plane curvature control for 4-material bilayer ribs. The lattice design converts this into large growth gradients, which lead to complex, predictable 3-dimensional (3D) shape changes. We demonstrate this approach with a hemispherical antenna that shifts resonant frequency as it changes shape and a flat lattice that transforms into a 3D human face.