Motorola Mobility, a Google company, is building a 3D printed modular phone, and has partnered with 3D Systems for commercial fulfillment. More »
The Captured Dimensions pop-up studio was located in the Smithsonian Castle and featured approximately 80 digital cameras all connected to 3D software. More »
Microsoft expanded their support for 3D printing by launching a Windows 8 app called 3D Builder. It includes a library of objects you can edit and 3D print. More »
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced the availability of the Sense 3D scanner, the first 3D scanner designed for the consumer and optimized for 3D printing. More »
With rumors circling that 3D Systems will be purchased by IBM, the stock soars. We look at why IBM might be interested in the 3D printing giant. More »
Yearly Archives: 2012
Shapeways Introduces Flexible 3D Printing Material: Elasto Plastic
Most 3D printed products today are created in firm plastic, giving a bland and sterile feel. Other materials available have included stainless steel, glass, and ceramics. Shapeways is now testing a new material called Black Elasto Plastic, which has a rubberized look and feel.
This material would be great for a variety of applications. We’ve seen designs in jewelry, tech gadgets, erasers (yes it can function as an eraser), stress toys, gloves and so much more! Let your creativity shine and please give us feedback to help us learn about this awesome experimental material!
Top 3D Printing Headlines from Last Week: Maker Faire, Japan, Batman, Vaccines
A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from May 14 to May 20.
Monday, May 14
- Forbes: 3D Printing Will Cause Real Wages to Rise in Global Economy
- What to 3D Print: Wired Showcases the Best of Thingiverse
Tuesday, May 15
- Strange Ideas: Eat Your Own 3D Printed Brain [Video]
- Make Your Own Superhero: Your Face 3D Printed on Batman
Wednesday, May 16
Friday, May 18
- Nano-Vaccines: 3D Printing Small to Fight Large-Scale Epidemics
- MakerBot Builds 3D Printed Robot Petting Zoo for Maker Faire [Video]
Saturday, May 19
Maker Faire Bay Area 2012: Highlights and Headlines
Maker Faire 2012 took place in San Mateo, CA this weekend. Visited by over 120,000 people, Maker Faire featured exhibits ranging from robots to 3D printing to electric cars to art installations. Here are some of the highlights that made headlines.
TechCrunch: In Which The Maker Faire Restores Your Humble Correspondent’s Faith In Humanity
The maker movement has hit an interesting flux point; its amateurs and enthusiasts, much like the computer geeks of the 1970s and 1980s, now stand on the verge of watching their hobby erupt into big business that will reshape the way people everywhere live.
Make: Maker Faire 3D Printer Census
While walking around the Maker Faire grounds this morning I took a quick census all of the 3D printers. All told I saw 55 3D printers on the fairgrounds, 23 of which were unique designs. That’s not including the CNC machines or the stock of three dozen or so Replicator, Up! printers, and Printrbots for sale in the Maker Shed. I’m impressed!
MakerBot: Maker Faire Emergency Averted By Tinkercad And MakerBot!
Here’s the scene: a middle school boy goes to a fantastic summer day camp, Galileo Learning, in Hillsborough, CA. He builds a great go-kart as his final project. But when Galileo transports the go-kart to Maker Faire, the steering wheel is dangling by a single bolt. Missing a nut!
San Jose Mercury News: Maker Faire explodes into the ultimate DIY project
Maker Faire has exploded into the ultimate do-it-yourself project: In only six years, the once-intimate weekend gathering is now attracting massive crowds and exporting the experience around the globe, from Chicago to Cairo.
SF Gate: Maker Faire: Festival of invention and creativity returns to Bay Area
It’s mad science for the masses. A celebration of the do-it-yourself-mindset. A place where you go to play with robots, see a giant metal dragon breath fire, turn old computer parts into cool sculptures, and watch Coke react with Mentos mints, sending geysers of soda shooting the air over twenty feet high. Think Burning Man for geeks and kids with a dizzying array of DIY projects and science demonstrations.
PC World: Maker Faire 2012: A Gallery of Creations
That said, one of the big themes at this year’s event is the fusion of digital and tangible, with recurring favorite 3D printers taking center stage.
Patch: Eye-Catching Creations at the Maker Faire
Outside, an even more jaw-dropping world of larger-than-life displays were set up in a festival-like atmosphere, such as a two-stories-tall metal dragon that actually breathed fire, and all manner of decked-out homemade vehicles, animatronic figures and more.
And finally, neon robot land sharks!
Maker Faire photo by Kiet Callies used under Creative Commons license.
Industry Leaders Discuss Consumer 3D Printing Market [Video]
Dale Dougherty, co-founder of O’Reilly Media, hosted a panel on consumer 3D printing at the MIT/Stanford VLAB in April.
3D Printing is poised to become a part of our daily lives, allowing consumers to make things in a new era of mass customization. Once an expensive technology used by engineers, 3D printers today print car bodies, medical and dental prosthetics, high-fashion shoes and much more. Layer by layer, 3D printers deposit material to build up one-of-a-kind products, even with complex internal shapes.
Virtual marketplaces, cheaper printers and cloud-based consumer software are transforming the 3D Printing ecosystem, bringing the technology within the reach of everyone. With a current market size of $1.3 billion, the 3D printing industry is set to explode to $3.1 billion by 2016, according to industry consulting firm Wohlers Associates.
Join us and our industry leading panelists to understand business models and see the technology in action.
Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen joins leaders from 3D Systems, Autodesk, and London College of Fashion, and MAKE Magazine in the video below.
MakerBot Builds 3D Printed Robot Petting Zoo for Maker Faire [Video]
The MakerBot team has taken some time away from their day jobs to build a Robot Petting Zoo in time for Maker Faire. Of course, the robots are 3D printed on the Replicator.
Watch the video below to see all of their amazing creations.
