Using our inkjet printer system, the goal of this project is to produce a light sensor / solar cell that is composed entirely of 3D printed materials.
Being able to fully 3D print a solar cell unlocks a range of applications that were previously not possible for existing manufacturing techniques. All mature solar manufacturing technologies are limited to a single axis of curvature for their output solar cells, which means that they are unable to produce solar cells that could conformally coat an arbitrarily defined surface. 3D printed solar cells would thus be useful for coating objects such as drones, cars, robots, or any other application where weight or aerodynamics are especially important (which would preclude using a bulky form-altering scaffold to support a flat or single axis curved solar cell).
