A new method uses standard 3D printers to produce functioning devices with the electronics already embedded inside. The devices are made of fibers containing multiple interconnected materials that can light up, sense their surroundings, store energy, or perform other actions. The system uses conventional 3D printers outfitted with a special nozzle and a new filament to replace the usual single-material polymer filament, which typically gets fully melted before it is extruded from the printer's nozzle. The new filament has a complex internal structure made up of different materials arranged in a precise configuration and is surrounded by polymer cladding on the outside.
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