https://spectrum.ieee.org/3d-printed-robot-hand
"A skeletal robotic hand with working ligaments and tendons can now be
3D-printed in one run. The creepy accomplishment was made possible by a new
approach to additive manufacturing that can print both rigid and elastic
materials at the same time in high resolution.
The new work is the result of a collaboration between researchers at ETH Zurich
in Switzerland and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology spin-out called
Inkbit, based in Medford, Mass. The group has devised a new 3D inkjet-printing
technique capable of using a wider range of materials than previous devices.
In a new paper in
Nature, the group has shown for the first time that the
technology can be used to print complex moving devices made of multiple
materials in a single print job. These include a bio-inspired robotic hand, a
six-legged robot with a grabber, and a pump modeled on the heart.
“What was really exciting for us is that this technology, for the first time,
allowed us to print complete functional systems that work right off the print
bed,” says Thomas Buchner, a Ph.D. student at ETH Zurich and first author of
the paper describing the work.
The new technique operates on principles similar to those of the kind of inkjet
printer you might find in an office. Instead of colored inks, though, the
printer sprays out resins that harden when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light,
and rather than just printing a single sheet, it builds up 3D objects layer by
layer. It’s also capable of printing at extremely high resolution, with
voxels—the 3D equivalent of pixels–just a few micrometers across."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-domestic-violence-australia-malaria-rwanda-whales-dominica/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
