For the first time, Australia researchers have achieved a breakthrough that could lead to significant improvements in how human bodies interact with biomedical implants by harnessing the power of diamonds. Researchers at RMIT University successfully coated 3D-printed titanium implants with diamond. The development is considered a huge first step toward 3D-printed diamond implants for biomedical uses and orthopedics, a breakthrough that was made possible due to recent advances in 3D printing of titanium scaffolds at RMIT’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct. The coating was developed through a microwave plasma process at the Melbourne Center for Nanofabrication.
A recent study has provided three-dimensional visual data from hermit crabs using the latest in 3D microCT (Micro Computer Tomography) scanning technology. The public availability of MicroCT data potentially gives taxonomists more time and less-costlier options for studying and comparing specimens pertaining to their taxonomic research. To make access easier for this data, authors provide downloadable, interactive web-based viewers and 3D-printable file formats. One of the significant highlights this work covers are the new ways for researchers to share complex data without having to issue samples that can be damaged or lost.
Seoul National University researchers were inspired by the art form of origami to develop a foldable, self-assembling, and highly-rigid robotic arm. The mechanical limb was made using a concept of variable stiffness, and the device makes it possible to change its shape with a single wire. The robotic arm is lightweight, can fold flat, extend like an automatic umbrella, and even instantly stiffen. One of the device’s key principles is a collapsible locker, which enables the device to overcome drawbacks of origami-inspired structures that are hard to withstand external forces and to be easily actuated.