Researchers led by Professor Chen Xiaodong, from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) 3D-printed a sunflower that blooms in light, made from a material that combines a shape-memory polymer and carbon black.
It may appear to be just a pretty ornament, but its inventors from NTU say it represents the opportunities in the 3D printing field, where devices responsive to various types of stimuli, including light and humidity, can be 3D printed.
Prof Chen is already working to make smart solar cells that can turn towards the sun using a similar concept, by integrating shape-memory polymers with existing solar cells.
He also hopes to develop a stent that can be deformed, inserted into a clogged blood vessel, and then expanded using infrared light.
But Prof Chen noted that challenges remain. “The big bottleneck is still materials as few can be 3D printed,” he said. These include metals like copper and gold.
Watch the video below to see the blooming action of the 3D-printed sunflower:
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 21 August 2017