'4D Printing' with Shape-Shifting Smart Gel

Rutgers University engineers have developed a '4D printing' method for a smart hydrogel that could lead to the development of 'living' structures in human organs, soft robots, and drug delivery. The approach involves printing a 3D object with a hydrogel that changes shape over time, when temperatures change. Rutgers University engineer Howon Lee spoke with Tech Briefs about the manufacturing possibilities.