The Next Byte Podcast · 26 Dec 2023 · 14m
Daniel and Forbode discuss a collaborative project between MIT, ETH Zurich, and the startup Inkbit that adds a vision-controlled feedback loop to 3D printing. The system uses an inkjet printer with 16,000 nozzles to monitor the print in real-time, allowing for course corrections and the use of materials that smear or don't harden quickly. This innovation enables multimaterial printing of complex geometries like robot hands and heart models at speeds up to 660 times faster than state-of-the-art inkjet printers.
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ManufacturingInkbit660 times faster
An MIT/ETH Zurich/Inkbit team implemented a vision-controlled closed-loop system on an inkjet 3D printer to monitor prints in real-time, allowing the machine to correct errors mid-print and use volatile materials that previously could not be printed.
“This team from Inkbit said that they were able to produce the same parts with the visual control system, about 660 times faster than other state of the art 3D Inkjet printers.”
Speaker 1 · Hear it at 10:59
Manufacturingabout a 2nd
The 3D printer uses a camera to scan each layer after printing, processes the image in about one second, and adjusts specific nozzles (e.g., nozzle 13,582) to drop less material, preventing smears and enabling the use of soft, dynamic materials.
“every time they print, they take a scan, they process it and all that takes about a 2nd. And then you tell each dropper that's within the ink jeopardy. every, there's like. … 16,000 different nozzles. Crazy. But that's the level of control they have.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 4:41
early-stage companies
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