Six Volumetric 3D Printing Projects That Printed Objects in Seconds

What volumetric printing is

Normal 3D printing builds layer by layer. Volumetric printing cures an entire object at once inside a vat of photosensitive resin. The result is speed, no visible layer lines, and almost no supports. The technique, called computed axial lithography, emerged from UC Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore around 2019. Six projects in 2026 are moving it from research labs toward real products.

Tsinghua's DISH: 0.6 seconds to a finished part

A team at Tsinghua University published DISH in Nature this year. Instead of spinning the resin vial, they spin the light. A high-speed periscope projects holographic patterns from a 405 nm laser at up to 10 rotations per second. They cured millimeter-scale objects in 0.6 seconds at 19 micrometer resolution. The method works with thinner resins than conventional volumetric systems, which keeps prints sharp.

EPFL's life-sized ear

Researchers at EPFL in Lausanne published a bioprinting breakthrough in May. They modulated the phase of laser light rather than brightness, using 70 times less optical power. With a 150 mW laser diode, they solidified millimeter-scale objects in seconds and centimeter-scale ones in minutes. Their demo was a 64 mm3 human ear made of gelatin resin with living human cells embedded. Six days later, the cells had survived and started forming organized networks.

SONOCRAFT: beating heart tissue

A Horizon Europe project led by the Universitat de Barcelona combines volumetric printing with ultrasonic particle manipulation. Sound waves position and align cardiac cells while the resin cures around them. The goal is centimeter-scale heart tissue with integrated artificial vasculature for drug testing and regenerative medicine. The project runs through March 2029 with seven partners across six countries.

ETH Zurich's bioxolography

Conventional bioprinting places cells but struggles to control their orientation. ETH Zurich's Soft Robotics Lab is developing bioxolography, a high-resolution light-based volumetric technique that orients skeletal muscle cells during printing. Machine learning guides the biofabrication pipeline. The consortium includes Humboldt University Berlin, University of Basel, and spinout xolo.

TU Eindhoven's MTV: predictable results

Volumetric printing is fast, but results can be unpredictable. The MTV project at TU Eindhoven is building computational models to predict how material variations affect resolution, mechanical properties, and precision. The goal is to replace trial and error with software that tells you what you will get before you print. The Dutch government backs the work with over one million euros.

Why it matters now

These projects show volumetric printing splitting into two paths. One path chases speed for industrial prototyping and optics. The other chases precision for bioprinting and medical implants. Both paths are producing results in 2026, and both are moving closer to commercial machines.