Researchers inspired by human eye; invent clog-free printer

Engineers at the University of Missouri have taken inspiration from the human eye to invent what is being referred to as a clog-preventing printer nozzle cover. Clogged printer nozzles, as a lot of us have realised, are no good for quality prints.

Explaining the reasoning behind the nozzle, Jae Wan Kwon, associate professor in the College of Engineering, said the human eye and an ink jet nozzle share a common problem - both cannot be left to dry, and both have to open, simultaneously. To tackle this tricky problem, Kwon said they used biomimicry - imitation of nature to find solutions to human problems.