3D/4D Printing in Advanced Robotics Systems—Recent Developments and Applications

3D/4D printing technologies are currently among the fastest growing cutting-edge fabrication technologies. The scale of their applications is vast and applicable to nearly all industries. Three-dimensional printing technologies are particularly popular in robotics and especially in advanced design innovative solutions for areas such as manufacturing, space technology, and medicine. The development of robotics, and, in particular, of the precision of manufactured components, such as actuators, pneumatic muscles, power transmission units, etc., means that new prototypes are still being made, and the use of 3D printers reduces the production time severalfold, allowing for the completion of necessary simulations and tests. In addition, the use of 3D printers allows for the production of thin-walled and cellular structures, which is a great advantage compared to conventional fabrication technologies. In the range of 3D printers available on the market, only a few selected technologies allow for actual use in the construction of advanced robot elements (muscles, vibration dampers, etc.). In an era of rapid growth in the precision of available 3D printers and modern materials, 3D printing may soon become a major tool in robotics. This article presents an overview of 3D printing technologies and materials in terms of their application in robotics and provides examples of the use of 3D and 4D printing in prototyping and fabricating robotic elements with particular emphasis on the current state of the art. The study considered the possibilities of using 3D/4D printing in robotics with the use of polymeric materials. Three-dimensional and 4D printing technologies can have a major impact on achieving sustainable development goals by providing appropriate strategies to minimise health risks and promote environmentally friendly production processes. The review of the literature and the research work currently being carried out in this area is very promising and it seems that 3D/4D printing in robotics is widely used and is still developing, which allows us to conclude that in the near future the number of research works in this field will increase rapidly.