Research experiment by the students in
Leiden University have printed 3D-printed Intrepid-class starship from Star
Trek! The idea of a miniature starship isn’t something that you think about
outside of the Star Trek plot, but this model is actually part of a larger
experiment by the physicists.

Source: Unfold Times

Source: Wilson’s Media 

The ship resembles the
USS Voyager and it was printed by the physicists as part of their microswimmer
research. This voyager is unlike its TV version because it propelled through a
liquid due to chemical reactions between the platinum coating and hydrogen
peroxide solution.  The published article
notes that these students utilized the sphere-shaped model to push the limits
of 3D-printing research and produce the desired results.

Microswimmer is
essentially a scientific category that helps sort organisms and objects from
liquids. Bacteria, even white blood cells, can be considered microswimmers.By
studying the movement f synthetic microswimmers, researchers can provide
insight into the natural counterparts. Some researchers have predicted that a
future with synthetic microswimmers is possible for drug treatments and other
therapeutic objectives.

The modest conclusions
made by this article are that 3D-microprinted models are useful in experiments
with unusual shapes and they are designed to study the movement of microswimmers.
We can soon imagine tiny spaceships and boats traveling through space like
osmosis Jones. Of course, scientists weren’t able to exaggerate this outcome in
their study but who is stopping us?