A recent article from University of Minnesota contained good news for folks with difficulty seeing. Apparently a team of researchers at the university has developed a way to 3D print light receptors on a hemispherical surface. The team started with a hemispherical glass dome and used a custom-built 3D printer to lay a base layer of silver particles. They then used semiconducting polymer materials to print photodiodes, which can convert light into electricity.
The author of the study, published in Advanced Materials, holds the patent for 3D-printed semiconducting devices. He also has a personal reason for creating a bionic eye as his mother is blind in one eye and frequently asks when he can provide a solution. Here’s a link to a quick video that shows the printing process.
