A team of physicists from the
Netherlands has created the smallest ship on Earth, measuring from front to
rear, 30 micrometres, about a third of the thickness of a hair.
The ship was built by Leiden physicists Rachel Doherty and Daniela Kraft and their colleagues
The image was made using
an electron microscope, and the ship was then built using a sophisticated two-photon
polymerization 3D printer.
Kraft's group is looking
at microswimmers, which are small particles that move in liquids like water and
can be followed up with a microscope. One of their goals is to better
understand the microbiology of swimmers, such as bacteria, and their propulsion
mechanism.
Most of the research of
this type is done on spherical particles, but 3D printing offers new
possibilities, the researchers explain in this article. They also printed
spiral-shaped particles that spin as they were pushed through the water.
The small vessel does
not contain the propeller. The team adopted the 3DBenchy computer model
specifically designed to test and evaluate the accuracy and capabilities of 3D
printers when reviewing them.
The physicists' new Nanoscribe
Photonic Professional passed this test while establishing a new record for
building the smallest ship on Earth (capable of sailing in water
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