Scientists create method of '3D-printing realistic robot fingers'

Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have created a method of 3D-printing fingers for robots or prosthetics with similar properties to those of human flesh.

A team of researchers, led by Esther Amstad from EPFL's School of Engineering, has developed 3D-printable double network granular elastomers (DNGEs), opening new possibilities for supple yet resilient structures.

Traditionally, elastomers, synthetic polymers with varying mechanical properties, were limited in their ability to be shaped into complex 3D structures.

However, Amstad's team has overcome this limitation with DNGEs, which can adjust their mechanical properties across three dimensions at a small scale.

"Elastomers are usually cast so that their composition cannot be changed in all three dimensions over short length scales. To overcome this problem, we developed DNGEs: 3D-printable double network granular elastomers that can vary their mechanical properties to an unprecedented degree," says Amstad, head of the Soft Materials Laboratory in EPFL's School of Engineering.

PhD student Eva Baur demonstrated the technology's potential by printing a prototype finger with rigid bones and flexible flesh. This innovation enables devices to bend and stretch while retaining enough firmness for manipulation tasks.

The icing on the cake is that they can be printed using standard bioprinters. Amstad envisions diverse applications for DNGEs, including soft actuators, sensors, and wearables devoid of heavy mechanical joints. Motion-guided rehabilitation devices, prosthetics, and motion guides for surgeons are among the potential uses.

Additionally, these elastomers could find roles in sensing remote movements, such as in robot-assisted crop harvesting or underwater exploration.