Glossary
4D Printing: promises or operational future?

Self-assembly; Self-organization

Processes by which a disorganized system of elementary components spontaneously or stimulatedly assembles and organizes itself, following specific and local interactions between these components.

Auxétique

Ability to have a negative Poisson's ratio.

Bio-printing; Bio-impression

An emerging topic in additive manufacturing technologies, aimed at manufacturing living organs and tissues.

Caténane

Ring-shaped molecules that can be used to create nano-motors.

Poisson's ratio

Used to characterize the contraction of the material perpendicular to the direction of the applied force.

Epistemology

A critical study of the scientific method, logical forms and modes of inference to determine their logic, value and objective scope.

Incremental innovation

A new addition to an existing product...