Revolutionizing robotics: 3D printed robotic hand with synthetic bones, ligaments, and tendons

Researchers from ETH Zurich have 3D printed a robotic hand with synthetic bones, ligaments and tendons using an innovative laser scanning technique.
The new printing technology, developed by MIT spin-off Inkbit, enables efficient 3D printing of soft, elastic and rigid materials all at once, allowing for the creation of delicate structures like the robotic hand.
The researchers have published their findings and sample applications in the journal Nature.
"We can give it tendons, we can give it ligaments, we can give the capsule [around the joint], we can resemble the bones. And all of this happens with one print process that allows us to get the accuracy that we want for these robotic hands," explained ETH Zurich robotics professor Robert Katzschmann.
The team used slow-curing plastics that can bend and go back to their original shape; important for making flexible parts, like ligaments in the robotic hand. The growing field of 'soft robotics' is developing robots that are safer to work with people and better at handling delicate things.
"What this printing technology enabled us is to have the soft parts be really springy, so have a low viscosity. So when I touch it, it actually springs back immediately. And this allows us to have a more natural robotic arm compared to the ones that we were able to manufacture before," said ETH Zurich doctoral student Thomas Buchner.
He added: "While this hand is not yet able to be put on a human and used properly, it is a first step... this printing process really enables us to have quicker iterations and a quicker process from an idea to a finished prototype."
Traditional 3D printers work layer by layer, depositing material at each point and using a UV lamp to cure each layer immediately. However, this process can only handle certain types of plastic that harden quickly.
The new printing technology, developed by Inkbit, works with slower-curing plastics. These types of plastics are more elastic, durable, and strong.
Here's how it works: Instead of just stacking layers on top of each other, they added a laser scanner to the 3D printer. This scanner checks each layer for any bumps or uneven parts. Rather than fixing them, the printer adjusts the amount of material it uses for the next layer, making sure everything fits together.
Katzschmann, leading the robotics group at ETH Zurich, said their next steps will be to explore further possibilities and refine the technology for more sophisticated structures and applications.
"One of the things I'm particularly keen on is that we will start to go more into the tissue engineering with this technology. We really want to see how we can combine living cells... With this printing technology, we can now make structures that have very fine features. And so it provides the housing, or you might say the scaffolding for cells to grow. And so this will be something to try out," Katzschmann said.
"Maybe we can build a whole new types of tissues and use them either for robotics but also use them for medical purposes."
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#technology #robot #3dprinting

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