3-D printing

A 5x3 grid shows renderings of yellow objects. The objects have dynamic, bizarre shapes with large holes and a mix of smooth curved and straight surfaces.

New method simplifies the construction process for complex materials

With a new, user-friendly interface, researchers can quickly design many cellular metamaterial structures that have unique mechanical properties.

August 2, 2023

Small plasticky objects of myriad shapes and sizes form a colorful cube with very little wasted space. An inset shows a close-up of perfectly packed doodads and gewgaws.

The chore of packing just got faster and easier

A new computational method facilitates the dense placement of objects inside a rigid container.

July 6, 2023

Ganit Goldstein stands in one of MIT's makerspaces. 3D printers are visible in the background. A wall of windows shows greenery outside.

Redefining design through textiles

MIT Morningside Academy for Design Fellow Ganit Goldstein SM ’23 combines traditional craftsmanship and technology to transform the way clothes are produced and worn.

June 26, 2023

Between two petri dishes and on a rectangle of glass is a tiny device made from the new Jell-O-like polymer hydrogel. Shaped like a rake, it has paths inside to connect electrodes.

MIT engineers develop a soft, printable, metal-free electrode

A new Jell-O-like material could replace metals as electrical interfaces for pacemakers, cochlear implants, and other electronic implants.

June 15, 2023

A person solders a circuit board on the underside of a drone-type device.

How MIT’s fab labs scaled around the world

Now a global community of builders of all skill levels and backgrounds, the fab lab network grew from a single maker facility at MIT.

June 5, 2023

4 rows show kirigami objects transforming. On top is an illustrated rendering of a how a heart transforms into a triangle; the row below then has photographs showing the same movements using blue paper. The bottom rows show an illustrated rendering of a square transforming into a circle-like shape; and then a row shows photographs of the same transformations on pink paper.

Turning a circle into a square is possible with this kirigami-inspired formula

A study inspired by the Japanese paper-cutting art provides a blueprint for designing shape-shifting materials and devices.

June 1, 2023

Three researchers stand side by side in front of a piece of heavy equipment in a lab.

Team uses 3D printing to strengthen a key material in aerospace, energy-generation applications

The approach could improve the performance of many other materials as well.

May 19, 2023

Five objects appear on a whitish background: A blue kettlebell with some microchip components, a silver ringlike object with wires, a roll of corrugated white plastic, a white glove with wires on it, and an off-white corrugated piece of plastic.

Toward more flexible and rapid prototyping of electronic devices

FlexBoard is a flexible breadboard that enables rapid prototyping of objects with interactive sensors, actuators, and displays on curved and deformable surfaces.

May 18, 2023

John Hart stands next to 3D printing hardware in a laboratory

John Hart named head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering

A leader in manufacturing science and technology, Hart SM ’02, PhD ’06 will become department head effective July 1.

May 17, 2023

The isometric rendering of the 3D-printed vacuum pump shows all the parts, including the housing, lid, rotor, and sample holder. 2 insets show the “tube cross-section” and the “roller,” which is colored green and has many ridges inside chambers.

Researchers 3D print a miniature vacuum pump

The device would be a key component of a portable mass spectrometer that could help monitor pollutants, perform medical diagnoses in remote areas, or test Martian soil.

April 25, 2023