ETH Zurich

A type of natural polymer, cellulose has increasingly been finding use as an eco-friendly, biocompatible 3D-printing material. Now, scientists have devised a method of printing complex objects with a higher cellulose content than ever.

When we pick up an object, we can adjust our grip if that object proves to be a slippery customer. ETH researchers have developed a sensor that could help robot grippers to do the same.

Researchers in Europe and the UK have managed to connect biological and artificial neurons together. The biological neurons were grown in Italy, sent signals through an artificial synapse in the UK to communicate with artificial neurons in Zurich.

Researchers at ETH Zürich have developed a robotic manipulator that can pick up and manipulate small objects without actually touching them. Using ultrasonic waves, the new manipulator could be used for handling tiny, fragile items.

Researchers have discovered the oldest material on Earth – and it’s not from Earth. Tiny grains from a meteorite that fell in Australia were found to be between 5 and 7 billion years old, meaning they predate our planet, the Sun and the solar system.

With gold, beauty and weight are two sides of the same coin. Now, by mixing it with plastic instead of other metals, researchers have created a new form of gold with as little as one-10th the usual weight, but retaining the same purity.

There's a problem with most bandages – because they adhere to the wound as it heals, they may reopen it when removed. A new wound dressing, however, doesn't stick to wounds, yet it does help stop the bleeding.

If you wanted to have a replica of Michelangelo's David in your home, you'd need plenty of space to show it off. But the replica 3D-printed by Exaddon and ETH Zurich would fit in any home, though you may need a microscope to see it.

Researchers from ETH Zurich have created 3D rabbit models embedded with synthetic DNA that contained their own blueprints. That allows them to effectively "clone" the models, printing copies by clipping small pieces off the original.

Of all the materials that can be 3D-printed, glass is still one of the most challenging to work with. Scientists at the ETH Zurich research center are working on changing that, though, with a new and reportedly better glass-printing technique.

It's an unfortunate fact that pacemakers do need to be surgically replaced every five years or so, before their battery runs out. The procedure could soon be considerably easier and safer, though, thanks to a membrane that goes around the implant.

Scientists have added tactile sensors to a prosthetic leg, allowing users to walk with much less effort.