Sculpting liquid landscapes using 3D printing and surface tension
University of Liège researchers combined individual “menisci” into larger liquid reliefs that can guide particles under gravity alone
According to the University of Liège, physicists have developed a method to sculpt the surface of water using 3D printed conical spines and surface tension. By carefully arranging these spines close together, the researchers combined individual “menisci” into larger liquid reliefs that can guide particles under gravity alone. The study, published in Nature Communications, opens new paths in microscopic transport, sorting, and marine pollution control.
Capillarity—caused by surface tension—creates a subtle curvature at the edge of any liquid surface, known as a meniscus. The GRASP laboratory, in collaboration with Brown University, took this principle further by asking: What if many menisci could be stacked and shaped into complex, dynamic liquid terrains?
Using high-resolution 3D printing, the team printed arrays of spikes close enough to merge their individual effects. “As we know, each spike creates a meniscus around itself,” explains physicist Megan Delens. “Following this logic, this means that if we align them well and they are close enough together, we should see a sort of giant meniscus appear, resulting from the superposition and addition of each individual meniscus.”
These overlapping menisci produce a “programmed” landscape on the liquid surface, shaped by modifying the height and spacing of the spines. The researchers even recreated the Atomium of Brussels in liquid form.
But the breakthrough isn’t just visual. “This method also offers a new way of moving and sorting floating objects such as marbles, droplets, or plastic particles,” says Professor Nicolas Vandewalle. As the water surface slopes, objects separate naturally—lighter ones rising, denser ones sliding downward—without any external input.
Beyond passive manipulation, future efforts aim to make these spines dynamically responsive. Materials sensitive to magnetic fields or capable of changing shape could enable real-time control of liquid surfaces. “The idea would be to be able to control the shape of the liquid surface in real time,” Delens adds.
This technology from the University of Liège hints at a new frontier in microfluidics, pollution control, and liquid-based robotics—shaped not by pumps or motors, but by the quiet precision of capillary force.
