Computational additive manufacturing integrates digital design, simulation, and control with 3D and 4D printing processes to create structures with precisely programmed geometry, composition, and function. Methods span multimaterial extrusion, vat photopolymerization, volumetric and holographic printing, and bio- and food-printing, often coupled to AI-driven design tools, topology optimization, and process monitoring. A major emphasis is on architected and origami- or textile-inspired mechanical metamaterials, soft robots, and functional devices whose mechanical, optical, electromagnetic, or morphing behavior is encoded at the meso- and microstructural level.
Consumer & Gadgets
Wouldn't it be great if you could just take a picture of yourself with your mobile phone and sew your own clothes—in exactly the right size and fit? The solution is on the way.
Jan 20, 2026
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Engineering
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory has released a new version of its advanced slicing software, ORNL Slicer 2, which accelerates and simplifies the creation of large 3D printed parts.
Jan 16, 2026
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Hi Tech & Innovation
Generative artificial intelligence models have left such an indelible impact on digital content creation that it's getting harder to recall what the internet was like before it. You can call on these AI tools for clever projects ...
Jan 14, 2026
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Engineering
Researchers have created a self-healing composite that is tougher than materials currently used in aircraft wings, turbine blades and other applications—and can repair itself more than 1,000 times. The researchers estimate ...
Jan 14, 2026
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Computer Sciences
The sheen of satin, the subtle glints of twill, the translucence of sheer silk: Fabric has long been difficult to render digitally because of the myriad ways different yarns can be woven or knitted together.
Jan 12, 2026
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Robotics
A collaboration between Princeton University engineers and entomologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign began with the researchers chasing grasshoppers in a hot parking lot. Their eventual focus on the hindwings ...
Jan 7, 2026
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Engineering
Metamaterials—artificially made materials with properties that aren't found in the natural world—are poised to transform daily life. Their unique properties are enhancing products from sporting goods to consumer electronics ...
Jan 7, 2026
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Computer Sciences
MIT researchers have developed a new method for designing 3D structures that can be transformed from a flat configuration into their curved, fully formed shape with only a single pull of a string.
Dec 23, 2025
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Engineering
Most of the plastic products we use are made through injection molding, a process in which molten plastic is injected into a mold to mass-produce identical items. However, even slight changes in conditions can lead to defects, ...
Dec 22, 2025
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Engineering
When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently ...
Dec 16, 2025
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