PREVIEW

AssetID: 40989098

Headline: Physicists Create Smallest Ship On Earth

Caption: THIS PICTURE: The researchers also printed spiral shaped particles, which rotate along while they are propelled through water, and other shapes including a Star Trek-style spaceship. ... STORY CAPTION: A group of physicists say they have created the smallest ship on Earth. Netherland’s Leiden University physicists Rachel Doherty, Daniela Kraft and colleagues have 3D printed a miniscule vessel measuring 30 micrometers; about a third of the thickness of a hair. The image was made using an electron microscope and can be found in their article about 3D printing synthetic microswimmers in the scientific journal Soft Matter. Kraft's research group researches microswimmers, small particles moving in fluids like water, that can be followed using a microscope. One of their goals is understanding biological microswimmers, such as bacteria. Most research of this type is carried out on sphere shaped particles, but 3D printing offers new possibilities, as the researchers show in their article. They also printed spiral shaped particles, which rotate along while they are propelled through water, and other shapes including a Star Trek-style spaceship. The boat, known as 3DBenchy, is a 3D computer model specifically designed for testing the accuracy and capabilities of 3D printers. The group say their new Nanoscribe Photonic Professional printer has passed this test “with flying colors, while establishing a new record building the smallest ship on Earth (which is even able to set sail in water).”

Keywords: odd,oddity,offbeat,quirky,weird,amazing,interesting,cool,science,tech,technology,innovation,invention,research

PersonInImage: