Neri Oxman Reveals Mushtari, World’s First 3D-Printed Photosynthetic Wearable

Source: http://inside3dprinting.com/

(Engineering.com) — Neri Oxman, architect and designer, has revealed the world’s first 3D-printed photosynthetic wearable “embedded with living matter.” Entitled Mushtari, the wearable is inspired by the human gastrointestinal tract and is designed to host synthetic microorganisms — a co-culture of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and E. coli bacteria — that can fluoresce bright colors in darkness and produce sugar or biofuels when exposed to the sun. Oxman said, “Such functions will in the near future augment the wearer by scanning our skins, repairing damaged tissue, and sustaining our bodies, an experiment that has never been attempted before.”

Oxman’s team used Stratasys’ triple-jetting 3D printing to create a large fluid network within Mushtari that varied in transparency from opaque to clear. According to Oxman, “This enabled varying levels of transparency and translucency to be designed into surface areas where photosynthesis was desired. Channels and pockets were implemented to enhance the flow and functionality of the cells. Such mechanical and optical property gradation can only be achieved using multi-material 3D printing with high spatial resolution for manufacturing.”