Ramona Adams
PARC has been awarded a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract to build a nanotechnology-enabled printer that uses micrometer-size particles to produce macroscopic objects.
The company said Wednesday the contract was awarded as part of DARPA’s Atoms to Product program, which began research efforts in December 2015.
PARC said it will employ the help of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland in building the first digital Micro-Assembly Printer system, while Boston University, University of Notre Dame and HRL Laboratories will work together to create the nano-inks for the printer.
Eugene Chow, a PARC researcher and project lead, said the Micro-Assembly Printer works to manufacture smart materials that bridge the gap between nano to macro scales.
The Xerox-owned company said it aims to build a printing system that combines the functionality of nanotechnology with the cost and throughput of laser printers.
