ArticleScience advances2026
Robotic conformal 4D printing of liquid crystal elastomers.
Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Physical Adaptive Material Motor Unit Neural Network: A Hygromorph Composite Material Machine.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Alignment switching in 3D-printed smectic liquid crystal elastomers.Nature communications · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Four-dimensional (4D) printing of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) serves as a promising approach to create reversibly shape-changing structures for diverse applications, including soft robotics, deployable systems, and adaptive surfaces. Central to programming these shape transformations is the spatial alignment of microscale liquid crystal mesogens. Existing 4D printing methods for LCEs are constrained by the alignment of mesogens within 2D planes, thereby limiting the range of achievable deformation. This work presents a robotic direct-ink-writing conformal 4D printing technology that enables deposition of LCEs onto complex, nonplanar 3D substrates. An algorithm is developed to generate printing paths, point normals, and control codes to guide the motion of a six-axis robotic arm. Conformal printing is demonstrated on various surfaces with different printing paths, and the resulting shape-changing behaviors are studied to highlight the unlocked design space. Integration with 3D scanning further allows printing onto substrates with unknown geometries, such as egg surfaces, which enables applications in on-demand protective coatings and structural repair.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.