Bringing robots to life with 3D printing

Students of the ETH project Dyana are fusing animation and robotics together to create a cat-like character with realistic movements. To manufacture their intricate prototype, Andrina Grimm and her team also rely on Sintratec’s 3D printing technology.

Dyana began in autumn 2020 as an interdisciplinary focus project of the ETH Zurich and 3 other Swiss universities, in which 14 bachelor students were to design and build a unique robot. It quickly became clear that 3D printing was essential to realize the intricate aesthetics of the cat-like body in time.

For the construction of their prototype the team used different 3D printing technologies: Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). SLS proved to be the ideal choice for those specific material requirements. Sintratec supported the project by sponsoring 3D printed components that were laser sintered on the Sintratec S2 system.

Commonly, the shell of robots is made out of molded thermoplasts. Dyana impressively demonstrates that there are other – perhaps even better – ways.

For more information see the original Press Release. (Image Source: ETH Dyana & Sintratec)