Or maybe a dust mite. New 3-D printing technology developed by researchers at the Vienna University of Technology can fabricate intricate objects smaller than a grain of sand. This technology is made possible by a laser directed through a series of mirrors and a liquid resin that hits the surface and leaves a polymer line that is a few hundred nanometers thick; at 200 lines per layer, the printer can print 100 layers in just four minutes.
Having figured out how to keep the mirrors’ movement as precise and fast as possible, researchers are looking ahead to future possibilities. By using bio-compatible resins, replacement organs could one day be manufactured for use in transplants. Or one day we could build a sand castle out of millions of castle-shaped grains of sand. The possibilities are endless. [Geek.com via Notcot.]
- London’s Tower Bridge like you’ll never see it. (Courtesy Vienna University of Technology)
