ETH News

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique.

For minimally invasive surgery, the instruments used must be small. ETH Zurich researchers have now developed a method to transport large devices through a narrow catheter. This expands the possibilities for designing minimally invasive surgical tools.

The Swiss National Science Foundation has awarded Advanced Grants to make up for the loss of European support. Researchers at ETH Zurich did particularly well, with 6 of the 24 grants going to the university.

ETH Zurich is launching a new Centre for Augmented Computational Design in Architecture, Engineering and Construction, known as Design++. 22 professorships from multiple departments are joining forces to develop digitally augmented design tools with a view to improving the efficiency and sustainability of construction.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a technique for manufacturing micrometre-long machines by interlocking multiple materials in a complex way. Such microrobots will one day revolutionise the field of medicine.

The automation of work is increasing at a tremendous pace. But how well do technology and humans really work together in a digitised world?

The technology pioneered by the ETH spin-off incon.ai allows blocks to be positioned with pinpoint accuracy, creating structures with aesthetic designs and augmented acoustics.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have set a new world record: they 3D printed complex objects with higher cellulose content than that of any other additively manufactured cellulose-based parts. To achieve this, they used a clever trick.

Researchers at ETH have produced a gel from cellulose fibres and biodegradable nanoparticles that liquifies when pressed through the nozzle of a 3D printer, but then quickly returns to its original shape. Their invention paves the way for personalised biomaterial implants.

The year 2019 has certainly been a busy one at ETH. A new president took office and the second Sci-Tech Oscar was awarded, along with other major prizes, but there were also plenty of inventions and topics for discussion.

Researchers in Zurich have reproduced Michelangelo’s David as a miniature in metal. Their achievement highlights the potential of a special 3D printing method developed at ETH.

ETH researchers used a 3D printing process to produce complex and highly porous glass objects. The basis for this is a special resin that can be cured with UV light.

For her doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich, Mariana Popescu developed a novel method to create a low-cost, lightweight and more sustainable formwork system for concrete structures. Her method using machine-knitted technical textiles has led to the young architect being included in the prestigious global list of “Innovators under 35”.

With the help of a 3D printed salt template, ETH researchers have succeeded in producing magnesium scaffolds with structured porosity that are suitable for bioresorbable bone implants.

ETH spin-off Spectroplast has developed a method to make silicone products using a 3D printer. The young company now plans to bring to market customised medical products such as hearing aids, breast prosthesis for breast cancer patients and eventually even artificial heart valves.

Scientists at ETH Zurich and the South African company Strait Access Technologies are using 3D printing to produce custom-made artificial heart valves from silicone. This could help meet an ageing population’s growing demand for replacement heart valves.

Coral reefs are suffering because of climate change. Ulrike Pfreundt aims to use ecologically sound 3D printed structures to create artificial reefs that provide new habitats for more resistant corals.

DFAB HOUSE has officially opened today on the NEST building of Empa and Eawag in Dübendorf. It is the world's first inhabited "house" that was not only digitally planned, but also – with the help of robots and 3D printers – built largely digitally. The construction technologies were developed by ETH Zurich researchers in collaboration with industrial partners.

Researchers at ETH have developed and manufactured a family of architectures that maximises the stiffness of porous lightweight materials. It’s practically impossible to develop stiffer designs.

A construction robot has created a pavilion using nothing more than loose stones and string. Resear­chers of ETH Zurich are showing their work as part of an exhibition at the Gewerbemuseum in Winterthur.

Designed on a computer and built with the help of robots: ETH students studying for the MAS in Architecture and Digital Fabrication have built a wooden pergola to turn the sun-baked terrace at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome into a pleasant, shady spot. Their project demonstrates the potential that digital fabrication holds for wooden buildings.

Students and a doctoral candidate at ETH Zurich have developed a camping stove with the flame on the inside, greatly reducing the negative effects of wind and heat loss. The new design was made possibly by additive manufacturing.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have fabricated an 80 m2 lightweight concrete slab at the DFAB House, making it the world’s first full-scale architectural project to use 3D sand printing for its formwork.

Three ETH alumni have developed a 3D printer capable of manufacturing components from carbon fiber composites. Their ETH spin-off, 9T Labs, could bring a breakthrough for the manufacturing and utilization of extremely lightweight and strong parts.

Using nothing but 3D printing, scientists have developed a paddling submarine that requires no engine, propellant or power supply.

ETH Zurich researchers have developed multifunctional origami structures, which they then fabricated into 3D printed objects. The design principle mimics the structure of an earwig’s wing.

Researchers from ETH Zurich are using a new method for digital timber construction in a real project for the first time. The load-bearing timber modules, which are prefabricated by robots, will be assembled on the top two floors at the DFAB HOUSE construction site.

Digital fabrication techniques for buildings and breathtaking concrete roofs, a heart made of silicone, and a new degree programme in medicine; in 2017, teaching and research at ETH Zurich were characterised by new ventures and a pioneering spirit.

ETH researchers have developed a biocompatible ink for 3D printing using living bacteria. This makes it possible to produce biological materials capable of breaking down toxic substances or producing high-purity cellulose for biomedical applications.

New manufacturing technologies will transform the way we produce things. So can we expect everything to come off a 3D printer? Mirko Meboldt, an expert in product development, talks to management expert Torbjörn Netland about the potential – and reality – of the situation.

How can students from a wide range of departments grow as a team and work together to solve a problem in six days? ETH News shadowed a student at this year's edition of ETH Week, entitled "Manufacturing the future".

At the Empa and Eawag NEST building in Dübendorf, eight ETH Zurich professors are collaborating with business partners to build the three-storey DFAB HOUSE. It is the first house in the world to be designed, planned and built using predominantly digital processes.

Scientists use the term 4D printing to refer to the simple production of objects that can transform their shape at different times. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now taken this approach one major step further by developing a construction principle that can produce load-bearing and predictable structures.

Researchers at ETH Zurich’s Department of Architecture (D-ARCH) have developed a concrete floor system that does not require steel reinforcement and is 70 percent lighter than conventional concrete floors. Their design was inspired by historical construction principles.

In the future, a new type of tiny redox flow battery will supply tightly packed electronic components with energy, while also dissipating the heat they produce.

ETH researchers have received this year’s Swiss Technology Award for their technology “Mesh Mould”, winning the most important Swiss prize for innovation and technology transfer in the “Inventors” category.

ETH researchers have used an additive manufacturing process to print an extremely porous ceramic component. Manufacturing a material of this kind with a 3D printer is a considerable achievement.

Biological cells can expand, contract and interact with neighbouring cells. With an advancement in a microscopy technique, ETH Zurich researchers can now readily, directly, and accurately determine which forces are at work during cell motion and where. The technique is used in areas such as cancer research.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a lattice structure capable of absorbing a wide range of vibrations while also being useful as a load-bearing component – for example, in propellers, rotors and rockets. It can absorb vibrations in the audible range, which are the most undesirable in engineering applications.

A new 3D microprinting process allows scientists to manufacture tiny, complex metal components easily. The technology used was designed by ETH researchers years ago for biological research and has now been further developed for a completely different application.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have manufactured transparent electrodes for use in touchscreens using a novel nanoprinting process. The new electrodes are some of the most transparent and conductive that have ever been developed.

Johann Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, visited ETH Zurich on Monday. He learned about the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation, and expressed how impressed he was by the university's achievements. 

Inspired to take 3D printing technology to new heights, ETH Zurich and MIT researchers create "Rock Print" a full-scale architectural installation for the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a new method to differentiate very weak and short sound waves from longer ones. When used in acoustic imaging, their technology makes it possible to detect only the outline of objects.

Digital technologies are changing our everyday lives, and research at ETH Zurich is playing a major role in this transformation. Realistic film animation, houses built by robots and implants manufactured using 3D printers: the new issue of Globe showcases the vast range of possible applications.

Digital technologies have already turned many areas of the economy inside out. Construction is the next sector set to undergo a change: more efficient processes, new materials and more varied houses are the objective.

The Master of Advanced Studies ETH in Architecture and Digital Fabrication is a new continuing education programme initiated by the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication and ETH Zurich. From September, students from all over the world will be able to study innovative methods of construction and design.

Researchers have developed improved forms of tiny magnetic actuators thanks to new materials and a microscopic 3D printing technology.

The ETH spin-off Selfnation, which offers women’s made-to-measure jeans over the internet, impressed the jury of venture kick’s young entrepreneur competition and won one of two sponsorship awards worth CHF 130,000.

It has become extremely difficult for companies to get a clear picture of the crowded 3D printing sector. But now that’s changing: ETH spin-off Additively.com brings transparency to the market and helps customers find the right provider.

Two ETH students have launched their label Selfnation with a web store for made-to-measure women’s jeans. Software developed at ETH ensures each pair of jeans fits its wearer perfectly.

Matthias Kohler, Professor of Architecture and Digital Fabrication, takes over the leadership of a National Centre of Competence in Research. He talks to ETH News about why it is so important that novel design and fabrication processes evolve and that such a research approach does not remain purely theoretical.

Two ETH researchers from the Institute for Technology in Architecture have created an immersive space from artificial sandstone with a 3D printer. The work is currently on display in Orléans, France.