A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from October 29 to November 3.

A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from August 14 to August 19.

Tuesday, August 14

• Neil Gershenfeld Speaks With RadioNZ (New Zealand), Talks 3D Printing
• TangiBot has a Kickstarter Project for a Much Cheaper MakerBot

Wednesday, August 15

• Printing Nano-Electronics on Everything: Phones, Planes, Fish Tanks

Thursday, August 16

• 3D Printed Meat for Dinner: Peter Thiel Backs Bioprinting Startup

Friday, August 17

• Google Employees Treated to 3D Printed Pasta by Renowned Chef

This week’s featured Fab Lab is Fab Lab Adelaide in South Australia.

Fab Lab Adelaide is managed by ANAT (Australian Network for Art and Technology). ANAT supports artists and creative practitioners engaging with science and technology.

Fab Lab Adelaide is funded by the South Australian Government’s Department of Further Education, Employment, Science & Technology.

Equipped with both MakerBot and UP! 3D printers, the Fab Lab will launch in October 2012. In the meantime, follow them on Twitter @FabLabAdl.

We are looking forward to seeing more.

Read about all of our featured Fab Labs in our weekly series.

South Australia photo by S.H. Photography used under Creative Commons license.

Fujifilm is looking to break into the 3D printing retail market with a new line of consumer devices that could fabricate personalized products like jewelry, toys and other home design items. Some printers would be sold to consumers for home use and others would be sold to businesses as in-store kiosk 3D printers.

Michael Mostyn, Fujifilm Key Account Manager, commented on the company’s new direction:

“Fujifilm is also looking to make 3D Printers available for consumer purchase from retailers in the near future, enabling the family and do-it-yourself enthusiasts to produce low cost, high quality finished parts for their projects at home.

“However, consumer printers would not have the capacity to produce all of the customised 3D products that would be available in-store through kiosks or online.

“Although 3D printing has been around since the 80s, the technology has only recently emerged from speciality prototyping markets.

“The principle of 3D printing is similar to ink-jet printing which uses inks applied as droplets onto paper in thin layers in two dimensions (2D).

“In a retail environment, a customer could use a kiosk to create their customised 3D product from a range of customisable designs or even a photograph, place their order with the retailer and then return to the store at a later time to pick up the product.”

In the video below, FUJIFILM showcases it latest technology in iPhone printing from kiosks to 3D Object printing at The Digital Show in Melbourne 25-27th May 2012.

Via buy-n-shoot.com.

Australian publication Architecture Source has written a series of articles about the impact of technology on traditional architecture and artistry. They initially suggested that design excellence has suffered from efficiencies in technology, or said another way, technology inspires lazy architecture:

When asked by Big Think if he thought technology was dramatically improving design, Yale School of Architecture dean Robert A. M. Stern’s response was mixed.

“It’s made more possibilities, and it has resulted in some buildings of extraordinary beauty,” says Stern.

He proceeds, however, to discuss the drawbacks of focusing on one aspect of modern beauty and architectural greatness that is easy to fall back on using these technologies.

 “(In) producing a bland uniformity in our cities, including our city of New York,  it’s a question of how much glass is appropriate?” says Stern.

While technology has driven this industry into new realms, it is perhaps unwise or even incorrect to suggest it is entirely superior to traditional architecture. Stern notes the greatness of the Pantheon as an example of pre-technology architectural greatness, standing out among numerous other architectural examples that even with our technological foundation have not been recreated or even neared in design excellence.

After much reader response, Architecture Source published a follow up article, taking aim at 3D printing:

The absolute exactness of this architectural development medium means speed and precision are high on the list of positive elements associated with 3D printing. There is no level of human error involved and exact specifications can be tested in miniature form.

It is this lack of the human element, however, that provokes the question: could 3D printing take the artistry out of architecture design?

Herein lies the key point upon which many of our readers have agreed; technology is a tool. Just because writers now use computers instead of pen and paper does not mean that literary greatness is gone. The implementation of modern technology into any of our sectors means elements of tasks presented to us are simpler and can be completed more efficiently. This brings with it the downside that when approached by the lazy or mediocre, results can still be achieved even if they are not particularly groundbreaking.

Our View

Today, 3D printing may be limited in size, scope and precision. However, adoption of this technology and its applications will only accelerate, by consumers, professionals and artisans. And with increased adoption will come improvements over current limitations. Therefore, we fully expect to see 3D printing a legitimate medium for artistry as well as a staple tool for architecture and product design.

Architecture photo by Peter Guthrie used under Creative Commons license.