“We are excited about the potential of this new 3D-printing technology using a portable, lightweight printer costing less than $400,” said Michael McAlpine, the University of Minnesota Benjamin Mayhugh Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and an expert in 3D printed electronics. “We imagine that a soldier could pull this printer out of a backpack and print a chemical sensor or other electronics they need, directly on the skin. It would be like a ‘Swiss Army knife’ of the future with everything they need all in one portable 3D printing tool.”
To achieve the breakthrough, the researchers used a self-made 3D printer and an ink made from silver flakes that cure and conduct at room temperature, meaning that they can be printed and worn without burning the skin. To remove the electronics, the wearer can simply peel them off or wash them off with water.
To 3D print the electronics, temporary markers were placed on the skin to allow it to be scanned. The 3D printer then uses computer vision to adjust to small, involuntary movements of the hand.
“No matter how hard anyone would try to stay still when using the printer on the skin, a person moves slightly and every hand is different,” said McAlpine. “This printer can track the hand using the markers and adjust in real-time to the movements and contours of the hand, so printing of the electronics keeps its circuit shape.”
“I’m fascinated by the idea of printing electronics or cells directly on the skin,” McAlpine said. “It is such a simple idea and has unlimited potential for important applications in the future.”
The research was published in an article entitled “3D Printed Functional and Biological Materials on Moving Freeform Surfaces,” which you can access here. Authors of the paper include Zhijie Zhu, Shuang-Zhuang Guo, Tessa Hirdler, Cindy Eide, Xiaoxiao Fan, Jakub Tolar, and Michael C. McAlpine.
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[Source/Images: University of Minnesota]