Applications

NTU Has Developed a 3D Printed ‘Active’ Fabric for Flexible, Made-to-Measure Limb Supports

3D printing is increasingly transforming the medical sector. Whether it’s to develop exoskeletons, cancer-fighting devices or tailor-made medicines, additive manufacturing has proven its worth time and time again. Today, we turn our attention to Singapore, where researchers

The 3D printed fabric made by the NTU researchers
3Dnatives

3D printing is increasingly transforming the medical sector. Whether it’s to develop exoskeletons, cancer-fighting devices or tailor-made medicines, additive manufacturing has proven its worth time and time again. Today, we turn our attention to Singapore, where researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed an innovative 3D printed ‘active’ fabric using this technology.

Called RoboFabric, this adaptable, flexible fabric can stiffen at will, making it particularly useful for medical devices and flexible robotics. NTU researchers have designed an elbow brace with RoboFabric, enabling it to support heavier loads, as well as a prototype wrist support designed to stabilize joints, helping Parkinson’s patients manage their tremors.

tissu imprimé 3D

RoboFabric: A 3D Printed Fabric That Reduces Muscular Effort

The innovative new fabric, inspired by the natural structures of the pangolin and octopus, is designed by a mathematical algorithm to create interlocking tiles. These tiles, produced by 3D printing, are connected by metal fibers. When the fibers contract, they cause the tiles to interlock, increasing the rigidity of the RoboFabric by more than 350 times.