Category Archives: News
3D Printed Bioscope: New Design Reinvents the Old Film Camera
Inspired by an early movie projector of the same name, the Bioscope is a medium to experience memories in relative time. It consists of a hand-held device, to be viewed with one eye, resembling an old film camera.
Simon de Bakker and Jon Stam, who designed and 3D printed their ‘Bioscope’ at i.materialise are pushing the boundaries of photography, film and technology. The Bioscope is a digital movie viewer in the shape of a Fisherprice camera.
Designers often use 3D printing for accessories and interior design, but there is another market that reaches 3D printing more and more: the one with digital gadgets like the Bioscope: you look with your eye through the ‘lens’ and then, by moving the red button forward or backward you can see your home movie frame by frame which creates a very retro like effect.
The Magical Experience – Interview with Jon Stam
“For this project, I wanted to recreate the magical experience of those old projectors but adjusted to our modern times by using movies on USB sticks. The Bioscope is interactive and allows the user to move through time with the turn of the crank. Moving forward and backward, as fast as slow as you want. You’re invited to pause at your favorite moments and reflect. This way people get manual control over digital information and it allows them to transform every viewing into something entirely new and personal.”
3D Printing and the Bioscope
Through traditional manufacturing it was hard to bring this idea to life, so Jon Stam and Simon de Bakker decided to try 3D printing: “We were thinking about how we could take old technology and adapt it for the modern world. Going to the traditional manufacturing route of making a mold and going into full production was not only too expensive, but it also made it impossible to customize the Bioscopes the way we wanted.”
“Luckily, there is 3D Printing. By using this technology, we could create the bioscope digitally and together with i.materialise, repair any errors in the file and find the best material and printing technique to bring the bioscope to life in polyamide. Quickly and affordably. Plus, when I am not completely satisfied with how the bioscope feels – not a problem. I change the digital file, contact i.materialise, and presto…a new and improved Bioscope!”
The Bioscope will be showcased at the 3D Print Show in London this weekend from the 19th until the 21st of October.
Below is a video of the Bioscope project.
Top 3D Printing Headlines Last Week: Weapons, Disney, Patents, Europe
A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from October 6 to October 13.
Friday, October 12
Saturday, October 13
New Plan for Manufacturing Jobs in EU: Invest Heavily in 3D Printing
In the face of a global financial crisis, the European Union is having its share of challenges to grow the economies of the EU member states. The European Commission has a new plan for reviving the declining manufacturing sector which has lost 3 million jobs. The plan calls for member states to invest heavily in 3D printing.
In a leaked paper seen by Reuters, 3D printing is highlighted as a path to job and GDP growth.
The paper which outlines the bloc’s future industrial policy said the commission wants to raise manufacturing from 16 percent to 20 percent of EU GDP by 2020 using new techniques such as 3D printing which builds objects using instructions from a printer.
Enthusiasts for 3D printing say it will revolutionise manufacturing in electronics such as mobile phones and save millions in costs as it would be as cheap to produce one phone as it would be to make thousands.
Some predict that in the more distant future households will have such printers to make mundane objects such as shoes.
Other initiatives for growth include biotech, green vehicles and smart grids.
Via Reuters.
EU Commission program photo by sararasmussen used under Creative Commons license.
Physical DRM: New Patent Issued to Protect Piracy in 3D Printing
A patent issued on October 9, 2012 is looking to establish DRM-like protection for 3D printed goods and prevent piracy.
Here is the abstract from the full patent description.
Methods and systems for a manufacturing control system include but are not limited to identifying at least one object data file configured to produce an object by a manufacturing machine; confirming that an authorization code is associated with the object data file, the authorization code configured to be received by the manufacturing machine, the manufacturing machine adapted to receive the authorization code; and enabling the manufacturing machine to interface with the object data file only if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions.
As BBC describes it, “the broad patent uses a copy-protection system similar to that found on music files, movies and computer games. This copy management system acts as a digital wrapper around the design files used by 3D printers.”
This patent was issued to California-based Intellectual Ventures, established by former Microsoft technology executive Nathan Mhyrvold.
Here is the technical summary of the application.
In one aspect, a method for secure manufacturing to control object production rights includes but is not limited to identifying at least one object data file configured to produce an object by a manufacturing machine; confirming that an authorization code is associated with the object data file, the authorization code configured to be received by the manufacturing machine, the manufacturing machine adapted to receive the authorization code; and enabling the manufacturing machine to interface with the object data file only if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
In another aspect, a computer program product related to a control technique for object production rights includes but is not limited to a signal bearing medium bearing at least one of one or more instructions for identifying at least one object data file configured to produce an object by a manufacturing machine; one or more instructions for confirming that an authorization code is associated with the object data file, the authorization code configured to be received by the manufacturing machine, the manufacturing machine adapted to receive the authorization code; and one or more instructions for enabling the manufacturing machine to interface with the object data file only if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
In one or more various aspects, related systems include but are not limited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting the herein-referenced method aspects; the circuitry and/or programming can be virtually any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
In one aspect, a manufacturing control system for secure manufacturing includes a processor, a data store coupled to the processor, the data store configured to contain authorization guideline data including one or more authorization codes, the data store adapted for identifying at least one object data file configured to produce an object by a manufacturing machine; a confirmation module coupled to the processor, the confirmation module configured for confirming that an authorization code is associated with the object data file, the authorization code configured to be received by the manufacturing machine, the manufacturing machine adapted to receive the authorization code; and an authorization module coupled to the processor, the authorization module configured for enabling the manufacturing machine to interface with the object data file only if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions. In addition to the foregoing, other control techniques for object production rights system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
Via BBC.
Printed Optics: Disney Research 3D Printing to Create Future of Toys
Collaborators from Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University are using 3D printing to create the future of interactive toys they call “Printed Optics.” Excerpts from a research paper are included below.
We present an approach to 3D printing custom optical elements for interactive devices labelled Printed Optics. Printed Optics enable sensing, display, and illumination elements to be directly embedded in the casing or mechanical structure of an interactive device. Using these elements, unique display surfaces, novel illumination techniques, custom optical sensors, and embedded optoelectronic components can be digitally fabricated for rapid, high fidelity, highly customized interactive devices. Printed Optics is part of our long term vision for interactive devices that are 3D printed in their entirety. In this paper we explore the possibilities for this vision afforded by fabrication of custom optical elements using today’s 3D printing technology.Printed Optics is a new approach to creating custom optical elements for interactive devices using 3D printing. Printed Optics enable sensing, display, and illumination elements to be directly embedded in the body of an interactive device. Using these elements, unique display surfaces, novel illumination techniques, custom optical sensors, and robust embedded components can be digitally fabricated for rapid, high fidelity, customized interactive devices.
3D printing allows digital geometry to be rapidly fabricated into physical form with micron accuracy. Usable optical elements can be designed and simulated in software, then 3D printed from transparent material with surprising ease and affordability.
But Disney’s vision is much grander. Watch the video below.
More at Disney Research.
Via WebProNews.
