A 3D printer that can produce complex systems of bendy and rigid materials, such as a robotic hand or an artificial heart, could be used to make more lifelike robots. Robert Katzschmann at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and his colleagues have developed a 3D printer that can produce systems with intricate mixtures of rigid and soft components using a similar technology to inkjet printers, by building up microscopically thin layers of up to four different plastics at once, each with unique properties.

A 3D-printed robotic hand controlled by pressurised water can complete the first level of classic computer game Super Mario Bros in less than 90 seconds. Ryan Sochol and his team at the University of Maryland were able to 3D print the hand in a single operation using a machine that can deposit hard plastic, a rubber-like polymer and a water-soluble "sacrificial" material.

A 3D-printed robot hand that can play simple tunes on the piano, including jingle bells, has been built by scientists. The robotic hand plays simple musical phrases on the piano by moving its wrist. Scientists have said the robot is limited in what it can play but reveals how complex the mechanics of the human hand are and how difficult it is to replicate. The robot hand was made by 3D-printing soft and rigid materials together to replicate all the bones and ligaments in a human hand. The robot hand was made by 3D-printing soft and rigid materials together to replicate all the bones and ligaments - but not the muscles or tendons - in a human hand.