MIT CSAIL has revived a rejected 1985 invention to create the Y-zipper, a three-sided 3D-printed fastener that can switch camping gear, medical braces and robots between soft and rigid states in seconds. Using PLA or TPU plastic, the fastener bends into primitives like straight, bent, coiled or twisted shapes. Testing showed 18,000 open-close cycles durability. Pitching a tent drops from 6 minutes to 80 seconds with Y-zippers. https://3dprinting.com/news/mit-researchers-3d-print-a-three-sided-zipper-concept/ #3Dprint #3Dprinting #Materials