Tag: 3D Printing

Some fish perceive their surroundings in the dark. Now, a Chinese-South Korean research team has developed a sensor that can recognise nearby objects without touching them. Key to the enterprise is a composite film made from two highly conductive materials. A polymer based on silicon (polydimethylsiloxane) and a few organic macromolecules (graphitic carbon nitride), which are mixed and then...

Thanks to 3D-printed alternatives, things are getting better for living test objects. Animals, too, could soon be spared chemical testing thanks to the work of an Edinburgh-based research team. Using a 3D printer, the team created a model comprising five interconnected compartments and filled each of those with human cells from the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidney respectively....

Cell phones could double as pocket microscopes, while smartphone videos supply information on breathing and pulse rates. Regularly monitoring one’s blood pressure is also important - for everyone. Particularly in remote areas, it can be difficult to get a reliable measurement. Which is why a new clip and app that use a smartphone’s camera could be a winner -...

Mobile and solar-powered beds can provide speedy relief to babies with jaundice. During outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Ebola or Polio, however, many doses of vaccines are required locally. To help with logistics and storage, a research team from MIT has developed a mobile printer to produce vaccination patches. They can be stored at room temperature for months....

Complex objects could be reliably lifted during production. But how can people with rheumatism or carpal tunnel syndrome be helped to carry out everyday activities such as brushing their teeth? Cue a new online platform which aims to provide personalised adapters for handheld and electric toothbrushes. First, users provide information about their condition and the type of toothbrush they...

Building elements filled with seeds and surfboards containing straw are allowing nature to grow. Now, a Hong Kong-based startup is 3D printing hexagonal tiles from clay which are installed on the seafloor and planted with young coral. A coral-specific algorithm tells a robotic arm how to print the tiles' labyrinthine structure. This not only promotes growth but enables corals...

A spray could provide Parkinson’s patients with faster, more targeted help. Treating internal wounds is often expensive, however, as biological material must be implanted as part of the recovery process. Which is why a research team in Sydney has developed a thin robotic arm with an integrated 3D printer. Due to flexible hydraulics, the arm can be operated like...

Used chewing gum can be transformed into skateboard wheels. Beaches, meanwhile, benefit from crushed used glass. Broken surfboards left by the sea are less hip, however. Therefore, a Welsh designer has developed a surfboard that serves as a breeding ground for corals in its second life. The skeleton is 3D-printed from biodegradable material, and filled with fungal spores and...