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New Technology Could Lead To 3D Printers
nomoreself writes "PhysicsWeb reports that a team of scientists in Jerusalem has come up with a method for creating self-assembling 3-dimensional models from a single sheet of paper. The 'chemical origami' is created by etching a pattern of monomer onto the paper and then heating it. The chemical's reaction to the heat causes bends of varying degree in the paper, molding the sheet into the patterned model. A professor in the US with no apparent ties to the study says in the article that the technique could be used to create self-assembling prototypes, or even a printer that prints 3D objects."
They're called Rapid Prototyping Machines and have been around since the 80's.
N-isopropylacrylamide is the main compound here. Anyone who has run an acrylamide gel knows that this stuff (and its derivatives) can be very dangerous (note the NFPA label)!