WASHINGTON: Scientists have 3D printed the world’s smallest fidget spinner – about the width of a human hair – using just a drop of liquid.
The microscale fidget spinner measures only 100 microns wide, or one tenth of a millimeter, but the capabilities it represents are enormous, researchers said.
The tiny device was created by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US to illustrate the facility’s unique resources and expertise available to scientists across the world.
The machine that built the fidget spinner is used by researchers to create microfluidic and micromechanical devices for scientific applications. The instrument uses a focused laser to convert a liquid into a solid at a microscopic level.
This process, much like 3D printing, allows researchers to precisely design and build complex designs to make functional microscale devices with moving components.
“We felt like it would be an interesting demonstration for younger people who may not know that the federal government maintains these user facilities around the country, which anybody can use as long as they submit a successful proposal,” said Adam Rondinone from ORNL. (AGENCIES)
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