Hybrid 3D Printing of Soft Electronics

Soft electronics are an emerging class of electronic devices that are flexible and stretchable, designed to move with the body. A team from Harvard’s Wyss Institute and Harvard SEAS has developed a new 3D printing platform that integrates hard and soft electronic elements into durable, stretchable sensors and enables rapid design and manufacturing of soft electronics.
This is achieved by first printing a stretchable conductive ink. As the printed ink is stretched, its electrical resistivity increases. Next, surface mounted electrical components are digitally pick-and-placed in precise locations.
Because the soft matrix and conductive electrodes are 3D-printed, researchers have complete control over where the electronic features are placed. The printed wearable sensor and integrated electronic device is mounted on a stretchable textile fabric.
This platform rapidly accelerates the design and additive manufacturing of customized, wearable electronic devices.
Learn more at: wyss.harvard.edu/low-cost-wea...

[@carolinapw9386]

awesome, is the printing expensive? the materials?

[@monicag4151]

Sir, Can you provide us the link, from where we can purchase the multiple-head 3D machine :)

[@johnkalu5307]

Is it the same 3D printer that prints the stretchable ink that does the placing of the hard electronic sensors? If yes, is it equipped with a tool-head changer or it has multiple heads with a variety of tools?

[@wyssinstitute]

The printer has multiple heads with a variety of tools: a head that prints the dielectric ink, a head that prints the conductive ink, and a head that picks and places the components.