Extremely Realistic Hand Printed with 3D Printers: It Has Bones and Tendon Ligaments [Video]

3D printing technologies have been a subject of medicine for a while. In the past, sometimes corneas and sometimes veins were produced with 3D printers. The latest news reveals that the methods used continue to improve. Scientists have now managed to produce a hand that looks very similar to the real thing, using 3D printers.

Scientists working at ETH Zürich University managed to produce a hand using a combination of different polymers. There is nothing very exciting so far. But what happens next is a bit interesting. The hand printed with a 3D printer contains bones, ligaments and tendons, just like a real hand.

It can also return to its original shape after being bent.

The robotic hand produced with a 3D printer has some interesting features. For example, this hand is not the same hardness at every point, just like in reality. Moreover, the polymers used during production can regain their original shape after being bent. Thomas Buchner, the leading name in the research, stated that this would not be possible with traditional 3D printing technologies. There are some justified reasons why the scientist speaks so clearly.

Researchers used a special laser technology to produce this hand. This technology made the necessary checks on each layer of the print and determined where harder and more elastic polymers would be used. Laser technology, which also enables recalibration for each stage, helped produce near-perfect prints.

Although the most important print made by the team was a hand, work was also done for different products. Thus, it became clear that the developed technique could actually be used in many areas. The scientists, who were extremely satisfied with their techniques, announced that they would continue to work and further improve the print quality.

Video explaining how the ultra-realistic hand is produced: