Flat sheets transform themselves into smooth-surfaced, free-form objects

3-D printers have been around since the 1980s, but we are still far from maximizing their potential. One active area of research is ‘self-actuating’ objects: flat materials that transform themselves through material forces into the desired 3-D object. Previously, however, the range of objects was limited to those with sharp edges and little, if any, curvature. Now, computer scientists have made it possible to create self-actuating, smooth, free-form objects.