Reverse Design of Tuneable 4D Printed Materials for Soft Robotics

该项目旨在促进设计和制造可以随时间改变形状的特殊物体。这些类型的物体是由“可调超材料”制成的，可以通过4D打印制成：3D打印增加了时间维度。这些材料在许多领域都变得不可或缺，包括用于医学或太空等恶劣环境探索的非金属软机器人，但目前制造起来很麻烦。该项目将为用户开发一种革命性的新方法，从定义所需的质量到制造满足其需求的对象。它还将创建一个库，允许用户快速选择合适的材料。

This project aims to facilitate the design and manufacture of specialised objects that can change their shape over time. These types of objects are made from ‘tuneable metamaterials’, which can be made by 4D printing: 3D printing with an added dimension of time. These materials are becoming indispensable in many fields- including non-metallic soft robots used in medicine or the exploration of harsh environments like space- but are currently onerous to make. This project will develop a revolutionary new method for a user to work backward from defining the desired qualities to the manufacture of the object that satisfies their needs. It will also create a library that will allow users to quickly select a material that will be appropriate.