Physicists at Leiden University in the Netherlands have printed the world's smallest boat and named it Benchy.
To 3D print such a small object, the teamused a commercial 3D micro-printer Nanoscribe. The printing process itself is called 2PP (two-photon polymerization) - its details are shown in the video below. 3D prints are created inside droplets of material that is solidified in the focus of extremely precise lasers.
"By controlling the laser through a droplet, we can create any shape we want," says "Because the printing takes place inside the droplet and we print layer by layer, we can create even small open spaces."
The team notes that they created the boat, “becausethat it was fun. " But the device also has practical applications - the researchers have developed more research-specific shapes, including a coil less than 5 microns in diameter. This way they can measure the speed of different types of particles.
This 3D printing technology opens up a lotopportunities to create very specific shapes to emulate biological objects or optimize their movement through fluids. “Ultimately, this will allow better control and design of the behavior of many objects and substances,” the scientists note.
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