Harvard’s 3D Printing of Soft Electronics

In the past few years, we have covered plenty of projects that involve making hybrid soft electronics and robotics. A team from Harvard’s Wyss Institute and Harvard SEAS has developed a new 3D platform that combines hard and soft electronic elements into stretchable sensors.

The first step is to print a stretchable conductive ink. As the researchers explain:

As the printed ink is stretched, its electrical resistivity increases. Next, surface mounted electrical components are digitally pick-and-placed in precise locations.

The final results are soft electronics that move with the body. The approach could lead to more sophisticated soft wearable devices for fitness and other applications.

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