Important Innovations

New Alloy Enables Wearable Computing and Soft Robots Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a unique alloy that can be used for 3D printing of soft robots, stretchable electronics and wearable computing.  It also paves the way for 3D printing of tall, complicated structures. New, 3D Printable Material that's Self-Healing They put nickel nanoparticles into the liquid metal Galinstan which gave it a consistency perfect for 3D printing.  The new material has awesome properties:  good conductivity, low toxicity, inexpensive and self-healing.  It can attach back together at break points. Vision of Soft Robots Walking Out of Printers Liquid metal printing is integral to the flexible electronics field.  The properties contained in this new material enable the creation of a range of emerging technologies such as wearable sensor suits, electrically conductive textiles, wearable computers and soft robots.  In fact, the researchers say they're...

Carnegie Mellon University's "Miraculous" Liquid Metal Droplets Enable Self-Healing Electronics This is a tech wonder.  Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have created a substance that spontaneously repairs itself under extreme mechanical damage.  The scientists say it could be used to build self-repairing robots and wearable computing, among other leading-edge tech. Breakthrough New Material The soft-matter composite material is composed of liquid metal droplets suspended in a soft elastomer. When damaged the droplets rupture to form new connections and they reroute electrical signals without any interruptions.  Circuits made of traces of the material remain fully operational even when severed. Exciting Uses Like Wearable Computing The differentiators in this self-healing material are its flexibility and softness just like natural skin.  That primes it for wearable computing and soft humanoid robots that are safe with human. Other applications are b...