This is the next generation of 3D printed objects. This bionic ear was designed by scientists at Princeton University with the most noteworthy part being the team used an off-the-shelf 3D printer that only costs R9 550. The scientists printed 3D printed cells and nanoparticles, attached a small coil antenna and voila, the bionic ear was cultured.

This bionic ear is fully functional and according to Michael McAlpine, the lead researcher the ear can hear radio frequencies a million times higher than the human ear. McAlpine said:

The way that our ear hears now is we pick up acoustic signals and then we convert those into electrical signals that go to our brain. What this ear does is it has this electronic coil on it and it picks up electronic signals directly.

The aim for developing the ear was not to help the deaf hear, but rather to provide humans with a superpower. McAlpine said:

The idea of this was: can you take a normal, healthy, average human and give them superpower that they wouldn’t normally have?

Watch as the bionic ears listen to Beethoven.

[Source: Mashable, YouTube, YouTube]