111. Biomimicry From The Ground Up Via Multi-material 3D Printing
Daniel and Forbode discuss a Harvard research team's development of a rotating multi-material 3D printing nozzle that extrudes up to four materials simultaneously in a double-helix pattern. They explain how this biomimetic approach creates artificial muscles using dielectric elastomers that contract with electricity, enabling precise tuning of stiffness and actuation for soft robotics. The hosts explore applications ranging from prosthetics and neural interfaces to replacing biological cartilage in joints, highlighting the technology's ability to mimic the helical protein structures found in nature.