Printed electronics offer the advantage of flexibility and low cost

The demand for flexible wearable electronics has spiked with the dramatic growth of smart devices that can exchange data with other devices over the internet with embedded sensors, software, and other technologies. Researchers consequently have focused on exploring flexible energy storage devices, such as flexible supercapacitators (FSCs), that are lightweight and safe and easily integrate Read more about Printed electronics offer the advantage of flexibility and low cost[…]

E-textiles embedded with energy storage devices

The next generation of waterproof smart fabrics will be laser printed and made in minutes. That’s the future imagined by the researchers behind new e-textile technology. Scientists from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a cost-efficient and scaleable method for rapidly fabricating textiles that are embedded with energy storage devices. In just three minutes, Read more about E-textiles embedded with energy storage devices[…]

Bioplotter for novel implants

Cellulose obtained from wood has amazing material properties. Empa researchers are now equipping the biodegradable material with additional functionalities to produce implants for cartilage diseases using 3D printing. It all starts with an ear. Empa researcher Michael Hausmann removes the object shaped like a human ear from the 3D printer and explains: «In viscous state Read more about Bioplotter for novel implants[…]

A new type of anticounterfeiting device

Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have invented a new type of anticounterfeiting device that can be useful for counterfeit deterrence of important documents such as identity cards, passports and banknotes. Calling it “holographic colour prints”, the research team led by Associate Professor Joel Yang demonstrated an optical device that appears Read more about A new type of anticounterfeiting device[…]

A new 3D printing technique makes bone implants to be precisely fitting

Cancerous tumors, infections or bad fractures can make it necessary to surgically remove bones and insert implants in their place. In collaboration with European partners, Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a technique with which bone implants that are precisely fitting, stable and variable in dimensions can be 3D-printed from a special plastic. The secret lies Read more about A new 3D printing technique makes bone implants to be precisely fitting[…]

A new printing method that uses soundwaves

Harvard University researchers have developed a new printing method that uses soundwaves to generate droplets from liquids with an unprecedented range of composition and viscosity. This technique could finally enable the manufacturing of many new biopharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food and expand the possibilities of optical and conductive materials. “By harnessing acoustic forces, we have created Read more about A new printing method that uses soundwaves[…]

3D Nanoprinting Facilitates Communication with Light

At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), researchers have developed a flexible and efficient concept to combine optical components in compact systems. They use a high-resolution 3D printing process to produce tiny beam-shaping elements directly on optical microchips or fibers and, hence, enable low-loss coupling. This approach replaces complicated positioning processes that represent a high obstacle Read more about 3D Nanoprinting Facilitates Communication with Light[…]

New 3D-printing technique on skin

In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota used a customized, low-cost 3D printer to print electronics on a real hand for the first time. The technology could be used by soldiers on the battlefield to print temporary sensors on their bodies to detect chemical or biological agents or solar cells to Read more about New 3D-printing technique on skin[…]

Self-folding materials are quicker and cheaper to produce than solid 3-D objects

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have used an inexpensive 3-D printer to produce flat plastic items that, when heated, fold themselves into predetermined shapes, such as a rose, a boat or even a bunny. Lining Yao, assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and director of the Morphing Matter Lab, said these self-folding plastic objects Read more about Self-folding materials are quicker and cheaper to produce than solid 3-D objects[…]

Printing your own bioprinter

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a low-cost 3-D bioprinter by modifying a standard desktop 3-D printer, and they have released the breakthrough designs as open source so that anyone can build their own system. The researchers—Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and Biomedical Engineering (BME) Associate Professor Adam Feinberg, BME postdoctoral fellow TJ Hinton, and Kira Pusch, Read more about Printing your own bioprinter[…]

A powerful new 4-D printing technique could allow manufacturers to produce electronic devices in a single process

From moon landings to mobile phones, many of the farfetched visions of science fiction have transformed into reality. In the latest example of this trend, scientists report that they have developed a powerful printer that could streamline the creation of self-assembling structures that can change shape after being exposed to heat and other stimuli. They Read more about A powerful new 4-D printing technique could allow manufacturers to produce electronic devices in a single process[…]

A 3D printed stethoscope is the first open-source medical device that has been clinically validated and is widely available

A team of researchers have developed an open-source, clinically validated template for a 3D printed stethoscope for use in areas of the world with limited access to medical supplies – places where a stethoscope could mean the difference between life and death. “As far as we know this is the first open-source medical device that Read more about A 3D printed stethoscope is the first open-source medical device that has been clinically validated and is widely available[…]