The Synergistic Role of Additive Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence for the Design of New Advanced Intelligent Systems

Intelligent materials and devices are considered the key to fulfill the strict and challenging requirements given by a large set of applications in numerous fields. The synergistic interplay of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, specifically 4D-printing, and artificial intelligence (AI), have widened the design space and accelerated the design phase. 4D-printing, intended as the combination of 3D-printing with a fourth dimension (i.e., time), ensures the fabrication of complex topologies with materials that can be selectively triggered to change specific features (e.g., shape, color), whereas the use of smart inks or embedded sensors can bring additional functionalities (e.g., repairing, sensing, actuating) to fulfill the requirements of the targeted application. AI is the tool allowing scientists to train machines for developing human-like capabilities to discern, predict, and represent the statistically significant behavior of a phenomenon. If applied to the design of smart structures, it can be a powerful and efficient tool capable of reducing the time-to-manufacturing, improving the traditional design approach. In this perspective, a viewpoint is provided on how the synergistic use of AI and AM can advance the design of intelligent systems, with successful applications ranging from the robotics to the bioengineering sectors.