Disney Has A New 3D Printer That Prints Soft Interactive Objects From Fabrics

Disney has expanded its research sector into 3D printing with fabric. The company recently showcased a prototype of 3-D printer that prints soft interactive objects from fabrics.

The 3D printer places the fabrics on top of each other, layer after layer and then trimming is done with the help of a laster cutter. Eventually, the layer is stuck below with heating glue. Upon completion the product would look a cube and then the extra fabric can be peeled away for revealing a detailed object which is inside.

"We present a new type of 3D printer that can form precise, but soft and deformable 3D objects from layers of off-the-shelf fabric. Our printer employs an approach where a sheet of fabric forms, each layer of a 3D object. The printer cuts this sheet along the 2D contour of the layer using a laser cutter and then bonds it to previously printed layers using a heat sensitive adhesive," Disney wrote in a blog post.

The technology could be used by researchers for creating a starfish toy that could double as a computer touch sensor. The printer can also create a NFC-enabled smartphone case.