Circuits 3D-printed onto skin offer battlefield benefits to soldiers

The team of researchers at the University of Minnesota also printed biological cells on the skin wound of a mouse, which could lead to new medical treatments for wound healing and direct printing of grafts for skin disorders. The research has been published in Advanced Materials.

“We are excited about the potential of this new 3D printing technology using a portable, lightweight printer costing less than $400,” said Michael McAlpine, the study’s lead author and the University of Minnesota Benjamin Mayhugh Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “We imagine that a soldier could pull this printer out of a backpack and print a chemical sensor or other electronics they need, directly on the skin. It would be like a ‘Swiss Army knife’ of the future with everything they need all in one portable 3D printing tool.”

According to the University, a key innovation of the new 3D printing technique is that the printer can adjust to small movements of the body during printing. Temporary markers are placed on the skin and the skin is scanned. The printer uses computer vision to adjust to movements in real-time.