Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have used 3D printing to make shape-changing products that move with the help of magnets. The team combined magnetic micro-particles with silica nanoparticles embedded in silicone rubber and infused into 3D-printable ink. The magnetic particles were then continuously controlled by an electromagnet that was integrated into a specially-designed 3D printer, leading to flexible, magnetically-controlled materials. In their paper published today in Nature Communications, MIT researchers describe how they created a new class of materials called “self-assembling microelectromechanical systems.”
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have used 3D printing to make shape-changing products that move with the help of magnets. The team combined magnetic micro-particles with silica nanoparticles embedded in silicone rubber and infused into 3D-printable ink. The magnetic particles were then continuously controlled by an electromagnet that was integrated into a specially-designed 3D printer, leading to flexible, magnetically-controlled materials. This technique could potentially be used to extract tissue samples, clear blockages and deliver drugs, said MIT medical engineer Xuanhe Zhao.