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
Old Refrigerators Recycled to 3D Print Modern Furniture [Video]
Designer Dirk Vander Kooij has taken industrial recycling to a new level. With his “Endless” process, old refrigerators were melted down and then used as raw materials to 3D print modern furniture.
His website describes the process:
It took 54 prototypes before we achieved the optimum comfort the chair now offers. After an intensive process of research and development into the engineering technique, we are now capable of producing tight lines and rounding off curves. Thanks to this rounding off technique, the chair has a distinct similarity to a thoughtfully wound up ball of string. This can only be done with the “Endless” production technique.
Below is a video of his industrial robot printing new furniture from old materials.
Via Mariella Moon
Explaining the Future: The 3D Printing Revolution by Christopher Barnatt [Video]
Christopher Barnatt of ExplainingTheFuture.com discusses 3D printing of today and where the technology is headed in this primer video.
Key topics in the video:
- Additive product creation
- 3d printing applications: eyewear, shoes, chocolate
- Digital designs marketplaces
- Local manufacturing and reduced shipping costs
- Reduced waste in the manufacturing process
- Decomposition and digital recycling
- Open-source hardware designs and DIY
- Low-cost 3D printers targeted at mainstream consumers
Improving Education: 3D Printing Lab Equipment to Help Poor Schools
What can a school do when it does not have the budget to buy proper lab equipment for its students? The team at Tekla Labs believes they have a solution: 3D print your own.
Tekla Labs is an organization formed by students at University of California, Berkeley and has launched a PRINTmyLAB Design Challenge. They are looking for 3D printing blueprint submissions by April 30.
Some suggestions from the website:
1) DIY Alternative: A 3D printing blueprint for an item that can replace a commercial product or a specific component of a commercial product used in scientific laboratories or in scientific/engineering research. Especially helpful if this part tends to break or get lost.
2) Novel Gadget: A 3D printing blueprint for a novel item not commercially available that is of use in scientific laboratories or in scientific/engineering research. Invent! Imagine! Print!
Read more at Tekla Labs or in a feature by PC World.
Students image used under Creative Commons from lumierefl.
Top 3D Printing Headlines from Last Week: China, Kids, Guitars, Chocolate
A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from April 2 to April 8.
Monday, April 2
- Disrupting China: Interview with Horst Hörtner from Ars Electronica Futurelab
- A Look Back: 3D Printing in 2010 [Interactive Timeline]
Tuesday, April 3
- Dental Labs Redefine Personal Care with Onsite 3D Printing
- From Design to 3D Print: Making Moving Parts [Video]
Wednesday, April 4
- 3D Printing for Kids – Kickstarter Project PotteryPrint Fails to Raise Funds
- MIT Scientists Putting $10 Million Grant Toward 3D Printed Robots
Thursday, April 5
Friday, April 6
- Leapfrog Launches New 3D Printer Line in Europe
- Tinkercad Chess Set Design Contest: Winner Announced!
Saturday, April 7
Pentagon Offers Prizes for Crowdsourced Military Vehicle Designs
DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), in collaboration with MIT, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and GE, is initiating a program to crowdsource designs for the next generation of military vehicles.
The New York Times reports about the Vehicleforge.mil program:
The near-term target, they said, is to collaborate on a design for an amphibious vehicle for the Marines. The first contest, with a $1 million prize, is planned for early next year. It involves mobility and drive-train subsystems for the vehicle. Next, about six months later, will be the design for the chassis and other subsystems, a contest that will carry another $1 million prize.
While not directly related to 3D printing, there is a connection. By crowdsourcing ideas for new military vehicles, the government is extending military design beyond the walls of the Pentagon. DARPA is acknowledging that the wisdom of the crowds might be a great way to augment the expertise of its staff.
If this model proves out, it could lead to wider adoption of crowdsourced design for other industries, such as consumer products, fashion and sports. Enter 3D printers and you have a future where individuals can leverage crowdsourced designs to find new products and print them in their own home or community.
It’s going to happen.
Read more about the Vehicleforge.mil program at the New York Times.
