Every major hospital will one day be equipped with 3D printing capabilities and former Ulladulla High School student Christopher Richards is working hard behind the scenes to help make the vision become a reality.
Chris graduated from Ulladulla High in 2010 and completed his Bachelors of Science (Nanotechnology) in 2015 at the University of Wollongong.
A technical officer at the Australian National Fabrication Facility – Materials Node, located at the University of Wollongong's ARC Centre for Excellence in Electromaterials Science, Chris’s research interests include creating artificial muscles and novel materials for additive fabrication processes.
Milton-Ulladulla Rotarians, Business Chamber members and school students were given a behind-the-scenes look at Chris’s work and learned how scientists can re-grow and repair human tissue including bone, cartilage, muscle and nerves, all through a digital fabrication method called 3D BioPrinting.
During the presentation the audience discovered how 3D printing has evolved over the past 30 years and how the newest aspects of the technology can be used for an ever increasing number of medical and engineering purposes.
Guests were given a 3D printing demonstration and handled the many specialized products that can be produced using the latest technology.
Chris told the Times he was unable to provide more detailed information about his work.
The ACES at the University of Wollongong is housed in the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, a purpose built $52 million facility designed to transform multi-functional materials research into a commercial reality.
