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A team of scientists has unveiled 4-D-printed hydrogel composite structures that change shape upon immersion in water. The team was inspired by nature, specifically, natural structures like plants, which respond and change their form over time according to environmental stimuli. The 4-D-printed hydrogel composites, which mimick a variety of shape changes undergone by plant organs such as tendrils, leaves and flowers in response to environmental stimuli like humidity and temperature, are programmed to contain precise, localized swelling behaviors.
Image credit: A.S. Gladman, E. Matsumoto, L.K. Sanders and J.A. Lewis, Wyss Institute at Harvard University
