This gives a new meaning to a KNEESLAPPER!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
We can 3-D print hard and rigid prosthetics, and soft shoes and springs. But what about 3-D printing both materials into one object? No way?
Yes way. Enter Ji-Won Kim and team at University of Texas, Austin.
They used purple and ultraviolet light to create soft and hard structures in resin. This new method printed a functional model knee joint with stiff bones and flexible ligaments.
Now, researchers can expand their prints for soft robotics, prosthetics, and wearable health monitors.
And that’s what I call a print job with some FLEXIBILITY.
Reference: Kim, J. W., Allen, M. J., Recker, E. A., Stevens, L. M., Cater, H. L., Uddin, A., … & Page, Z. A. (2025). Hybrid epoxy–acrylate resins for wavelength-selective multimaterial 3D printing. Nature Materials, 1-10.