Hardware Podcasts

111. Biomimicry From The Ground Up Via Multi-material 3D Printing

The Next Byte Podcast · 28 Feb 2023 · 18m

What this episode covers

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.

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early-stage companies

Topics

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Companies
Harvard, Neuralink, Wevolver

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