Tag Archives: fashion
3D Printing Will Empower Most Innovative Decade in History – Forbes
Forbes contributor Vivek Wadhwa explains why he believes this will be the most innovative decade in history. Wadhwa is Vice President of Academics and Innovation at Singularity University. Here is his general view:
Why am I so optimistic? Because of the wide assortment of technologies that are advancing at exponential rates and converging. They are enabling small teams to do what was once only possible for governments and large corporations. These exponential technologies will help us solve many of humanity’s grand challenges, including energy, education, water, food, and health.
Among the technologies he cites as game changing this decade, 3D printing has a main feature:
In an emerging field called digital manufacturing, 3D printers enable the production of physical mechanical devices, medical implants, jewelry, and even clothing. These printers use something like a toothpaste tube of plastic or other material held vertically in an X-Y plotter that squirts out thin layers of tiny dots of material that build up, layer by layer, to produce a 3D replica of the computer-generated design. The cheapest 3D printers, which print rudimentary objects, currently sell for between $500 and $1000. Soon, we will have printers for this price that can print toys and household goods. Within this decade, we will see 3D printers doing the small-scale production of previously labor-intensive crafts and goods. In the next decade, we can expect local manufacture of the majority of goods; 3D printing of buildings and electronics; and the rise of a creative class empowered by digital making.
Other technologies Wadhwa mentions include genome sequencing, nanotechnology, micro-electrical-mechanical systems, and artificial intelligence.
Read the full post at Forbes.
Vivek Wadhwa photo by BAIA used under Creative Commons license.
Top 10 Countdown: Most Popular 3D Printing Stories in May 2012
Here are the top 10 most popular stories On 3D Printing brought you in May 2012.
10. 3D Systems acquired FreshFiber for 3D printed electronics accessories.
9. We wrote an editorial analyzing the space of 3D printing creators and consumers.
8. We reviewed SketchUp, Tinkercad, and 123D modeling software.
7. The fashion runway was 3D printed in Belgium.
6. The Motley Fool weighed in on public 3D printing manufacturers.
5. We featured companies exhibiting at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012.
4. Why Google sold SketchUp and what it means for 3D printing.
3. A 3D printing vending machine surfaced at Virginia Tech.
2. This New House: constructing and printing WikiHouse.
1. We featured Brad Feld as a premiere venture capitalist looking at 3D printing investments.
Thanks for reading in May!
3D Printed Curves: How the N12 Bikini Fits Your Body Perfectly
We have seen 3D printing on the fashion runway before, but the N12 bikini from Continuum Fashion is bringing 3D printed fashion into the home.
Clothing-maker Continuum calls themselves “part fashion label, part experimental design lab,” combining emerging technology with high fashion.
In this case, Continuum’s designer Jenna Fizel wrote a program that generates a custom bikini swimsuit lattice pattern based on the contours of the customer’s body.
The N12 bikini is the world’s first ready-to-wear, completely 3D-printed article of clothing. All of the pieces, closures included, are made directly by 3D printing and snap together without any sewing. N12 represents the beginning of what is possible for the near future.
N12 is named for the material it’s made out of: Nylon 12. This solid nylon is created by the SLS 3D printing process. Shapeways calls this material “white, strong, and flexible”, because its strength allows it to bend without breaking when printed very thin. With a minimum wall thickness of .7 mm, it is possible to make working springs and almost thread-like connections. For a bikini, the nylon is beautifully functional because it is waterproof and remarkably comfortable when wet.
Watch the video below for details on how this bikini is custom designed and 3D printed.
Top 3D Printing Headlines from Last Week: Crowdfunding, Fashion, 123D, $500 Printer
A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from April 23 to April 29.
Monday, April 23
- Innovative and Strange 3D Printing: Chocolate, Stone, Candy, Organs
- Anarkik3D Seeks Crowdfunding to Launch 3D Printing Software for Artists
Tuesday, April 24
- 3D Printing and the Public Markets: Market Cap Comparison [Charts]
- 3D Printing and the Runway: Fashion Gets Printed in Belgium
Wednesday, April 25
- Former MakerBot COO Launches New 3D Printer with a Mainstream Price Tag
- Ponoko Team Demos Autodesk 123D and 3D Printing Made To Order
Thursday, April 26
- Analyzing the Market Size of 3D Printing Creators and Consumers
- Romantic Boyfriend 3D Prints Wedding Bands, Raises the Bar
Friday, April 27
- 3D Printing Blossoms into the Mainstream – BusinessWeek Special Report
- Fab Lab of the Week: Collab in New York City
Saturday, April 28
3D Printing and the Runway: Fashion Gets Printed in Belgium
We’ve written before about fashion and 3D printing, but that story was about a single designer making a line of 3D printed shoes. This past week at the Materialise World Conference, a fashion show was held in which runway models showcased an entire collection of 3D printed haute couture accessories.
Here is a summary form Materialise:
Following a day featuring speakers such as Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Prof. Dr. Vermeersch, member of the surgical team responsible for Belgium’s first face transplant, and Iris van Herpen, rising star in the world of Haute Couture, the Materialise World Conference put on a fashion show with a 3D printed twist. Making their runway debut were four hats from Brussels’ master milliner Elvis Pompilio, clutch purses and necklaces by renowned designer Daniel Widrig, and a collection of stunning pieces that redefine how accessories can be worn by Niccolo Casas. Also on the catwalk were the top 20 designs of a hat and hair accessory competition, the “Hat’s Off to 3D Printing Challenge,” which was put together by Materialise’s consumer division i.materialise. All of the designs were produced by Materialise at their Headquarters in Leuven, Belgium.
Via Materialise.
View full photo album on Facebook.
