3D printed parts have been in production aircraft for some years now, but what about printing an Entire Aircraft? That’s what researchers Andy Keane and Jim Scanlan from the University of Southampton achieved. The 2 metre wingspan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has both impressive design and performance: Almost 100Mph (160Kph) flight speed Near silent… Continue reading Flying a 3D Printed Airplane
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Up! 3D Printer Assembly In Detail
Up! 3D printers seem to be growing in popularity, perhaps because of their highly functional software, but perhaps also because they have pretty solid hardware. In a new video from PP3DP, we can see what it takes to put together an Up! 3D printer – which turns out to be not particularly difficult. In… Continue reading Up! 3D Printer Assembly In Detail
3D Printing In South Africa
There’s a great story in Design Magazine describing how Kenneth van Rensburg came to create a 3D printing business in South Africa. After seeing the technology by accident during a Jaguar factory tour in the UK, van Rensburg created Protoform in 2008 to “bridge the gap between design and manufacture”, initially focusing on boat design.… Continue reading 3D Printing In South Africa
Up! Supports Macs
Or will soon, according to a short mention in a recent post on PP3DP’s blog: “The version of software that can be used on MAC will be released soon.” Strangely, this was briefly stated at the tail end of a post on a new platform heating cable. Soon the very powerful but end-user simple… Continue reading Up! Supports Macs
Space-Based 3D Printers Pass Important Test
Space.com reports this morning on experiments undertaken by Made In Space to verify whether 3D printers can be used in orbit. Evidently two commercial 3D printers were tested during temporary zero-gravity environment simulation fights. We’ve written about Made In Space before, as they were formed last year to address the problem of efficiently solving… Continue reading Space-Based 3D Printers Pass Important Test
BioPrinting Stem Cells
Continuing with our recent (and totally unexpected) theme of bioprinting, more researchers at Harvard have found a more effective way to print biomaterial with stem cells. Stem cells are very specialized living cells with the unique ability to theoretically spawn any other type of cell in the body, which of course would be incredibly useful… Continue reading BioPrinting Stem Cells
Human Cloning in Akihabara
We’ve written about various methods of scanning yourself in 3D, then replicating your face, hands or favorite body part on a 3D printer. But what if you didn’t need a 3D printer and could simply walk into a retail location and get it done on the spot? That’s precisely what’s going on in Tokyo’s Akihabara… Continue reading Human Cloning in Akihabara
Printing Micrometer-Sized BioScaffolds
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a new way to 3D print bioscaffolds. Scaffolds are three dimensional structures on which organic material (cells) may grow into properly formed tissue structures. Typically the scaffold then dissolves, leaving the newly formed tissue. The new process involves hitting a liquid concoction mixture of polymers and proteins with… Continue reading Printing Micrometer-Sized BioScaffolds
Ponoko’s Glossiness
Distributed manufacturing service Ponoko has announced a new material for their 3D printers: black and white glossy plastic. This ABS plastic (for use in their Dimension 3D printers) is durable and strong – and glossy! Prices range from USD$1.88-2.00 per cubic centimetre, depending on your Ponoko membership. Via Ponoko
From iOS Game to Reality With a 3D Printer
TUAW reports on one of the latest items from Voxelous, a company dedicated to producing real models of items from popular games. This time (but now sold out) was the runner from popular iOS game Canabalt. Here’s the details: Printed on a color 3D printer, dipped in super glue for strength, and given a… Continue reading From iOS Game to Reality With a 3D Printer
BioPrinting: Organovo Strikes Agreements
Organovo, the bioprinting startup that hopes to eventually print whole replacement human organs, has struck agreements with two pharma companies to assist in drug testing. Organovo will print tiny scaffolds on which human tissue can grow into lifelike shapes. These shapes tend to be better grounds for drug testing, as cells in a simple petri… Continue reading BioPrinting: Organovo Strikes Agreements
i.Materialise Glitters with Gold and Silver
3D print service i.Materialise now offers printing in Gold and Silver metals. They’re not the first service to offer this ability, but it’s wonderful to see another golden service. Specifics: In addition to the sterling silver, there are three colors of 14 kt gold offered, bright yellow, reddish tinge and white gold available. Prints… Continue reading i.Materialise Glitters with Gold and Silver
Finally Shapeways Makes the USA
Makes “in” the USA, that is. 3D print service Shapeways announced they will now ship product from the USA – this means US-based users (and also nearby countries we suppose) will avoid the delays and shipping costs of Shapeways’ European distribution centre in the Netherlands. Shapeways says they’re also “we are also increasing our… Continue reading Finally Shapeways Makes the USA
3D Printing Video Controversy
A 3D printing video from National Geographic went viral on the interwebs last week and quickly generated some controversy among 3D printing enthusiasts. In the video, physicist David Kaplan visited ZCorp HQ to “find out whether they can print a crescent wrench”. Kaplan was shown a selection of amazing items printed on ZCorp devices,… Continue reading 3D Printing Video Controversy
eMaker Increases Capacity in an Unusual Way
You’ll recall that 3D printer manufacturer eMaker recently ran an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds to kickstart their company. The campaign was wildly successful, raising not their intended USD$30K, but instead well over USD$158K! Today they’ve announced a change in their manufacturing strategy that permits them to produce not 150 machines as was originally… Continue reading eMaker Increases Capacity in an Unusual Way
What’s Next for RapCAD?
Some months ago we wrote about a new 3D modeling software venture, RapCAD. We hadn’t heard too much about it recently, so we thought we’d have a chat with RapCAD chief Giles Bathgate: Fabbaloo: How did you come to be interested in CAD and 3D modeling? Giles Bathgate: From an early age I… Continue reading What’s Next for RapCAD?
3D Systems Catches Alibre
Big announcement from 3D Systems this morning: They’ve acquired CAD/CAM software manufacturer Alibre. Alibre current markets several versions of their 3D modeling software for pro’s and hobbyists, as well as reselling several of 3D System’s 3D printers as software/hardware bundles – so obviously there was a strong existing relationship between the two parties. … Continue reading 3D Systems Catches Alibre
China Concerned About 3D Printing?
We know the vision: consumer owns an advanced 3D printer. They buy 3D designs online and print out their desired objects onsite within moments. Ta da! We also know the implications of this vision: Dead factories, fewer trains and trucks hauling finished goods around, perhaps a slightly greener world, more 3D designers and fewer… Continue reading China Concerned About 3D Printing?
CNN Predicts 3D Printing Opportunities
The mainstream media is producing introductory pieces on 3D printing with a bit more frequency in recent weeks, including a piece on CNNMoney. They talk of how innovative folks are leveraging the tech to make money in new ways. One of their examples is a Shapeways creator, who filled a gap in Lego’s product line… Continue reading CNN Predicts 3D Printing Opportunities
3D Printed Roboworm
New Scientist reports that Engineer Jordan Boyle from the University of Leeds has developed a “Roboworm” that can be used to burrow into small spaces. Such a device would be invaluable for earthquake rescues, where victims might be trapped under tons of rubble. While there are existing devices that can probe rubble piles, the… Continue reading 3D Printed Roboworm
A Visit to the ITC
You’re looking at a picture of Stephen McKendry-Smith of Manitoba’s Industrial Technology Centre. This organization is a government-funded operation dedicated to economic development, particularly in the use of new technologies such as 3D printing. The ITC now has a Dimension SST1200es onsite that they use to demonstrate 3D printing concepts and technology to interested… Continue reading A Visit to the ITC
Where’s My 3D Print Button? Part 2
Last week we lamented the current state of personal 3D printing workflow: difficult. It’s so difficult we believe many potential mainstream 3D printer owners would never be able to make their way through it. But what’s the answer? What should the experience look like for the majority of future 3D printer owners? Let’s look… Continue reading Where’s My 3D Print Button? Part 2
Sneakey Captures Your Keys!
We’re always interested in ways to develop 3D models for printing, and this method is quite startling: Teleduplicating physical keys via optical decoding! Yes, they take a picture of your keys and then using sophisticated image analysis techniques can prepare a 3D model that duplicates the key shape. It’s, called, obviously, “Sneakey”. In… Continue reading Sneakey Captures Your Keys!
3D Printing on xkcd
We’ve seen 3D printing show up on the hallowed pages of BBC, CNN, The Economist and other mass media outlets, but today we see it make an appearance on the highly popular internet comic strip, xkcd. In the strip, xkcd predicts “widespread deployment”. And other things that, yes, will probably occur – if they… Continue reading 3D Printing on xkcd
A 3D Printer Made of LEGO?
It’s true – Instructables user graphmastur has designed a RepRap-style 3D printer entirely out of LEGO parts. While he was obviously unable to attach a high-temp plastic extruder, he has included a common Sharpie marker pen instead. This enables the LEGO 3D printer to operate as a pen plotter. Why is graphmastur doing this?… Continue reading A 3D Printer Made of LEGO?
3D Printing From Minecraft
Minecraft must be one of the most popular online games these days. partly because it’s simple interface allows almost anyone to create semi-complex 3D environments. Now we see that an MIT Media Lab project headed by Cody Sumter and Jason Boggess has created a new tool to enable real-life 3D printing of objects made in… Continue reading 3D Printing From Minecraft
The Objet260 Connex Hints at Future Collision
Objet has announced a new commercial 3D printer: the Objet260 Connex. This device is intended to be used in office scenarios, as it is slightly smaller and less expensive than its big brother, the Objet 350 Connex. The new printer is quite similar to the 350, as it seems to share many of the internal… Continue reading The Objet260 Connex Hints at Future Collision
How To Build a Hand in Less Than an Hour
The coolest things to print on a 3D printer seem to be body parts, most often faces, but also cool are hands. However, hands seem to be a fairly complicated structure and many people simply try to find scans of 3D hands they can print. 3D Modeler Dennis Jensen shows us how to… Continue reading How To Build a Hand in Less Than an Hour
Fabbaloo Reader Needs 3D Print Assistance
Reader Andy Robb is a mechanical designer who’s interested in producing real-life versions of models he’s been working on. What kind of project? It’s a series of 1/6th scale model RC tanks, as pictured at left (click for larger image and check out the colored items that are likely what he’s seeking to produce). He’s… Continue reading Fabbaloo Reader Needs 3D Print Assistance
MCOR Prints The President
3D paper printer manufacturer MCOR recently scored a coup by not only meeting with the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, to discuss 3D printing at the Áras an Uachtaráin (the official residence of the Irish President), but also offered to print a bust of her upon her retirement in October. It’s possible for this paper… Continue reading MCOR Prints The President
3D Printed Chocolate That Tastes Good
BBC news reports today on scientists at the University of Exeter in the UK who have developed a new chocolate 3D printer. Instead of extruding tasteless plastic, this printer is capable of extruding liquified chocolate into solid – and edible – objects. The process is similar to other extrusion-based 3D printers: squirt and solidify each… Continue reading 3D Printed Chocolate That Tastes Good
Defeating Warping
If there’s one thing that personal 3D printer operators dislike, it must be the evils of warping. Warping, the phenomenon that occurs when a coincidence of material, temperatures, extruder speed and stretching results in printed models that have curled up corners. Typically warping is much more prevalent with ABS plastic and this may have led… Continue reading Defeating Warping
Where’s My 3D Print Button? Part 1
We’ve all seen this button many times. It’s how you produce 2D paper output, and you’ve used it perhaps all your life, maybe every day. It works because it’s easy. It works because it’s familiar. It works because all the hard stuff is already figured out for you behind the scenes. Enter personal 3D… Continue reading Where’s My 3D Print Button? Part 1
More Metal Printing Experiments
The RepRap team continue to develop methods of printing electrical conductors. If they succeed, it would be possible for future 3D printers to print objects that include (at least at first) simple electronic circuits embedded directly in their shapes. One can imagine a wide variety of LED lamps or switchboxes emerging quickly once this tech… Continue reading More Metal Printing Experiments
eMAKER Hits The Jackpot
The other week we wrote of eMAKER’s crowdsourced fundraising initiative to kick start their production of a low-priced entry-level 3D printer kit. They hoped to raise up to USD$30,000 by July 1st. They kinda did that. And more. They closed out at USD$158,685. That’s 5.2895 times their target! We’re amazed at the level… Continue reading eMAKER Hits The Jackpot
X-Object Sells Up!
We’ve just noticed another reseller of PP3DP’s Up! personal 3D printer: [x]Object. Shipment apparently starts today, July 1st, and pricing is organized around three bundles that we haven’t yet seen from other Up! resellers. The bundles are: UP! Start Plus USD$2950. This appears to be close to the same Up! models sold elsewhere. UP!… Continue reading X-Object Sells Up!
More Money For 3D Printing?
Last Friday US President Obama announced a new initiative to increase US competitiveness in manufacturing: the Advanced Manufacturing Process Partnership, or AMP. The goal is to create lots of high value manufacturing jobs. A good idea, but what does it involve? It’s a bit of a money shuffle between various existing programs, but in… Continue reading More Money For 3D Printing?
End Of The Beginning for MakerBot?
MakerBot sold their very last CupCake 3D printer kit and now offer only parts for that classic 3D printer. We think the CupCake was a very special device as it was really the first popular consumer 3D printer. In spite of the limitations and peculiarities of the original CupCake, including smallish build size, the… Continue reading End Of The Beginning for MakerBot?
Amazing 3D Printing Infographic
We bumped into this totally amazing infographic that explains pretty much all you need to know about 3D printing, including the process, economy, materials, typical uses, timeline of events, consumer and industrial use, food printing, etc. (Click link below for the full infographic view). The timeline is interesting. It predicts Bioprinted human limbs and… Continue reading Amazing 3D Printing Infographic
The Solar Sinter Project
While home 3D printers typical heat/melt plastic to produce objects, Markus Kayser has developed an eco-friendly 3D printer for “desert manufacturing” using only sand as the print material. The Solar Sinter focuses the heat of the sun to a small point using a large, sun-tracking fresnel lens. The focal point is so hot it… Continue reading The Solar Sinter Project
The Iris van Herpen Exhibition
One of Netherland’s most talented Dutch fashion designers, Iris van Herpen, will display her work at centraal museum utrecht from 29 June to 9 October this year. The exhibition will include not only some of her amazing 3D printed fashions, but there will also be a 3D printer (a Dimension) on site demonstrating the process… Continue reading The Iris van Herpen Exhibition
Ultimaker Operators Needed!
Fabbaloo was contacted by Manhattan-based radio reporter and podcast producer Jon Kalish, who enquired about our experience with the Ultimaker 3D printer. Unfortunately, we don’t have any direct contact with that particular 3D printer yet. We asked why is he so interested? Turns out that Jon is writing a piece on Ultimaker for a major zine and… Continue reading Ultimaker Operators Needed!
Gray Materialises
Who likes gray? It’s a dull, less-than-noticeable color that blends into any background. A gray car? Never! However, there’s something intriguing about i.Materialise’s new 3D printing material: Prime Gray. Objects just seem to look terrific in this color. According to i.Materialise’s Joris Peels: Some of us (OK, me) we’re skeptical about the gray color.… Continue reading Gray Materialises
The BotMill Axis PLUS Assembled 3D Printer
Speaking of assembled 3D printers, which seems to be a sudden trend in the hobby 3D printer industry lately, there’s another one you might want to consider: the BotMill Axis PLUS. This RepRap-based device is priced at only USD$1195, far lower than other assembled 3D printers. Well, it’s not *completely* assembled. BotMill says: “All you… Continue reading The BotMill Axis PLUS Assembled 3D Printer
Inexpensive 3D Modeling with AC3D
We bumped into the AC3D 3D modeling tool and we like the price: only USD$89. But what do you get with AC3D? This multiplatform tool (multiplatform meaning Windows, Mac and Linux) includes the ability to work with almost 40 different 3D formats including most of the 3D printing-related ones: 3DS, Collada, KML (Google Earth), OBJ,… Continue reading Inexpensive 3D Modeling with AC3D
Parametric Clothing
A short while ago we wrote about Shapeways’ 3D printed Bikini, and we speculated on the complexity of software required to develop appropriately fitting 3D clothing. The subtlety of fashionable curves and comfort fit are extraordinarily difficult, as they would necessarily be unique to each and every person. Even slight variations could render a fashion… Continue reading Parametric Clothing
Billions For Organ Printing?
An article in the Washington Post explores the startling proposition of 3D printing human organs. This is an incredibly complex goal, since most 3D printing of today involves rather simplistic models: a shape made of a single consistent material deposited in a uniform manner. Yes, a few advanced commercial 3D printers might be able to… Continue reading Billions For Organ Printing?
Final Fantasy IV Character Lives!
We thought this was perhaps the coolest 3D printed thing we’ve seen this year. As you can see, it’s a version of the Cecil Harvey – Dark Knight character from Final Fantasy IV. It was prepared by Neal Bockhaut on a Dimension 768 3D printer. So what, you might say. Everyone has printed figurines… Continue reading Final Fantasy IV Character Lives!
Domes For All
EFFALO’s latest dome-building venture is perhaps their most ambitious: they are attempting to create two critical items, bundling them together as domekit.cc: A software tool that uses parametric design to generate a dome design of any desired size A DIY flexible connector for geodesic dome construction We’ve followed the progress of NYC-based EFFALO… Continue reading Domes For All
The Mercury Centre At Sheffield U
Thanks to a huge GBP 5M grant from the European Regional Development Fund, Sheffield University’s Mercury Centre is set to expand by adding five new 3D printing machines and paying for operating costs until 2013. The Mercury Centre is already deep into 3D printing, as it produces medical prints and even small parts for… Continue reading The Mercury Centre At Sheffield U
HP 3D Printing Update
At the recent Plastics Design and Moulding show in London, Fabbaloo caught up with Eric Erickson, HP’s Product Manager for their Designjet 3D printers. It’s been over a year since it was announced HP would market 3D printers through an agreement with Stratasys. How well has business been over that period? Has HP found this… Continue reading HP 3D Printing Update
Human Tissue Material?
Nano-engineers at the University of California in San Diego have developed a new biomaterial that evidently is a very close match for human tissue. This material is not a uniform substance, but is rather a particular geometry that exhibits stretching properties useful for bio-engineering. The material is produced from a liquid polymer resin using… Continue reading Human Tissue Material?
The RepRap’s Heritage
The eyechart above (click for a larger, almost readable view) represents the family tree for virtually all low-cost 3D printers today. Almost all of them were derived directly or indirectly from the original RepRap project. We’ve written about many of these devices over the past few years, and we expect that this family tree will… Continue reading The RepRap’s Heritage
eMAKER Sells The Huxley
Yet another source for RepRap-based hobby 3D printers has emerged: eMAKER. They’re producing Huxley kits in several configurations (including one with no printed parts for those who already have a 3D printer and wish to produce as much of their new Huxley as possible themselves.) The kit isn’t quite official. eMAKER is running a… Continue reading eMAKER Sells The Huxley
Big News From MakerBot
In a huge departure from their standard approach, MakerBot is now offering a completely assembled Thing-O-Matic 3D printer option! Previously, MakerBot offered only kits and focused heavily on those who enjoy assembling them. But now there’s an option for people who feel printer assembly is beyond their abilities or time. The assembled Thing-O-Matic contains… Continue reading Big News From MakerBot
What is OHANDA?
OHANDA is the Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance, an initiative that has developed “Four Freedoms” that can be associated with an open design to ensure proper open source use. Their idea is to create an icon that may be displayed on hardware to indicate the permitted usage, similar to a “CC” license in a… Continue reading What is OHANDA?
Cadyou: Where You Share Your CAD
Made by the same folks you brought us the amazing 3D model search tool 3DFilter, Cadyou is a new venture that should enable a lot more model sharing. According to Cadyou chief Tom: the idea is to create a wiki-like experience for 3d and 2d cad models where you can contribute, vote and edit… Continue reading Cadyou: Where You Share Your CAD
3D Printed Bikini: Breakthrough or Barrier?
We were very excited to read about Shapeways latest creation: a 3D printed Bikini that you can actually purchase and wear! Up to now, most 3D printed fashions were wild, crazy and effectively impractical for common use. Typically you’d see 3D printed fashions in a museum or modern art event, but never in a place… Continue reading 3D Printed Bikini: Breakthrough or Barrier?
Bre Pettis on Colbert!
MakerBot Chief Bre Pettis intersected with mainstream media once again on Wednesday’s edition of the Colbert Report. While Colbert speculated on the prospect of a “stack of 3D butts” found after future office parties, there was semi-serious discussion of 3D printing. During the interview, Bre had a Thing-O-Matic operating right in front of the audience.… Continue reading Bre Pettis on Colbert!
A Keygen for House Keys?
There’s been quite a bit of interest in using the OpenSCAD 3D Modeling tool for a variety of designs, but this one caught our eye. OpenSCAD, if you aren’t aware, is a free GPL open source 3D modelling tool that is non-visual. Instead of dragging, squeezing and pinching components into your model, OpenSCAD requires you… Continue reading A Keygen for House Keys?
The BFB 3000 Plus
BFB’s already-assembled inexpensive 3D printer has now become the BFB 3000 Plus. The new version is very similar to the original BFB 3000, but has several enhancements. Our understanding is that the Plus’s improvements focus on two aspects: simplifying ease of use and machine quality. The machine’s print bed is easier to adjust and… Continue reading The BFB 3000 Plus
ReplicatorG 25 Released
If you’ve got a MakerBot, you’ll want to upgrade to the latest release of ReplicatorG, the software that prepares 3D models for printing on CupCakes, Thing-o-Matics and similar 3D printers. RepG is always undergoing continuous improvement, so it’s no surprise that a new release is out. But this one has some interesting features that should… Continue reading ReplicatorG 25 Released
Mass Customization is On The List
The Churchill Club is “Silicon Valley’s premier business and technology forum”, with some 6,500 members including many notable tech CEOs. Each year they host a discussion in which panelists attempt to predict the top tech trends for the next few years. This year’s event, apparently the 13th annual, included panelists: Curt Carlson, President and… Continue reading Mass Customization is On The List
3D Printing on CNN
CNN Money’s page today had a front-page article dedicated to 3D printing, featuring an interview with 3D System’s Rajeev Kulkarni, who spoke about their newly acquired BFB line of inexpensive 3D printers. He said: This is our attempt now to get at the consumer level, where we make 3-D printing accessible to the mass… Continue reading 3D Printing on CNN
The Personal Factory 5: Apps!
Ponoko has taken a step to solving one of the biggest problems in the 3D printing/making industry today: How do you make custom items? The problem is straightforward: 3D printers and other making devices can produce pretty much anything, once provided with a design. However, the goods produced are typically more expensive than those… Continue reading The Personal Factory 5: Apps!
The World’s Smallest Stop Motion Video
Nokia Cellscope: a very simple combination of a Nokia phone and a microscope, capable of seeing very small things at low cost. The idea is to enable those in third world countries to perform basic microscopy – and then instantly transmit results for expert analysis elsewhere. To celebrate the development of the Cellscope,… Continue reading The World’s Smallest Stop Motion Video
Autodesk 123D
Autodesk has released a free-for-use true 3D solid modeling software called 123D. The massive 521Mb download is not the only thing you get; there’s also a pretty comprehensive online repository of whole objects and basic components you can draw from to create awesome things. We think 123D is a big deal, as it’s relatively… Continue reading Autodesk 123D
The New 3D Systems
This week industry giant 3D systems unveiled their brand new logo (above). But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as they’ve been making all kinds of moves lately. We like to think they are now the “new” 3D Systems. Here’s some of the things they’ve been up to lately: Moved their stock from… Continue reading The New 3D Systems
Open Design Now Released
Today a new book has been released: “Open Design Now: Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive”. The book, a collaboration from Creative Commons Netherlands, the Premsela Dutch design and fashion institute, and Waag Society, focuses on the new design movement in which (theoretically) everyone can become a designer. Contributors to the tome include Marleen Stikker, Bre… Continue reading Open Design Now Released
Photofly Makes 3D Models Easy
There are several ways to produce 3D models of real-life objects and Autodesk has provided another one: Photofly. This is a service and software combination, in which you take around 50 overlapping photographs of your subject and then upload them to Photofly. The service then grinds through some very serious processing to produce detailed 3D… Continue reading Photofly Makes 3D Models Easy
The Endless Chair
Another surprise item seen at London’s Design Museum was the “Endless Chair”. Why is it called “endless”? Because it’s made from recycled refrigerators, where plastic is ground up and extruded in 3D printing fashion into the correct chair shape. Another reason for the name is that the production equipment, in this case a leftover… Continue reading The Endless Chair
Melonia Shoes at The Design Museum
During our recent visit to London and The Design Museum, we came across a very cool 3D printed shoe design: The Melonia Shoe. Designed by fashion designer Naim Josefi and industrial designer Souzan Youssouf, the shoe is the product of software that is capable of adjusting the size of the shoes on demand. Their vision:… Continue reading Melonia Shoes at The Design Museum
Blender 2.57 Is Official
Popular (and free) 3D modeling tool Blender is now version 2.57, as per the official release in April. This tool is very often used by consumer designers and makers to produce solid models for 3D printing. Blender sometimes gets a bad rap due to its rather difficult learning curve. But if you can get through… Continue reading Blender 2.57 Is Official
Neurosurgeons Are 3D Printing
There’s nothing like being able to hold something in your hand and inspect it. You can look from all angles close or far and can use your sense of touch to aid in understanding completely what you’ve got. That’s exactly the approach Hawaiian neurosurgeons at the Tripler Army Medical Centre are taking. They’re able… Continue reading Neurosurgeons Are 3D Printing
Posable 3D Models From CADHuman
SolidSmack reports on CADHuman’s new posable 3D models, which are highly detailed 3D models that can be adjusted into various positions. This differs from the more common experience of non-posable models that invariably are not in the specific pose you need. The models currently include: Male & female figures Human male head Posable hands… Continue reading Posable 3D Models From CADHuman
The Teeniest 3D Printer?
Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology have produced what they believe to be the world’s smallest 3D printer. This device is “about the size of a milk carton”, and should cost only €1200. The resin-based printer (which solidifies each of the object’s layers successively in a vat of plastic resin with LEDs) has a… Continue reading The Teeniest 3D Printer?
3D Scanning by UAV
You may have guessed we’re fascinated with new ways of capturing 3D models for printing, and this week we’ve found a rather unusual method: UAV images. Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne’s Computer Vision Laboratory have developed software to combine thousands of images gathered by UAVs into very usable 3D models. The software,… Continue reading 3D Scanning by UAV
Objet Displays Amazing New Materials
At the recent Plastics Design and Moulding show in London we met with Tim Smith of Tri-Tech, who demonstrated some of Objet’s amazing new materials. One of the materials is “Clear”. That’s right, you can actually see through the material when it’s printed. In fact, the specs you see above were entirely produced on an… Continue reading Objet Displays Amazing New Materials
BFB at PDM
We had the opportunity to spend some time with the BFB gang at London’s Plastics Design and Moulding show. They were demonstrating their flagship product, the BFB 3000 3D printer, as well as a 3D Systems V-Flash from their parent company. We spoke at length with BFB CTO and Founder Ian Adkins (above), who… Continue reading BFB at PDM
Augmented Human Contest
One is always amazed at the imagination of 3D designers who produce unusual objects and applications using 3D printing technology. Now i.Materialise has gone further and started a contest with the most unusual theme yet: Human Augmentation. In other words, they’ll give a prize to the designer who invents the most interesting item that can… Continue reading Augmented Human Contest
Engineering Organs?
Wake Forest researcher Dr. Anthony Atala recently spoke on CBC’s science podcast Quirks and Quarks about his work in the almost unbelievable science of engineering organs. His team is actually able to manufacture several types of biological organs. While this is still at the research stage, it could lead to a future where replacement parts… Continue reading Engineering Organs?
3D Dino Prints
Another example of 3D data capture took place when a team from Southern Methodist University scanned prehistoric dinosaur tracks using 3D scanners out (literally) in the field. The team used a combination of hardware (including a NextEngine HD Desktop 3D scanner with ScanStudio HD Pro software, RapidForm XOR2 Redesign and LightWave 3D) to capture… Continue reading 3D Dino Prints
Hands On With The BFB 3000: Software
We’re continuing to evaluate the BFB 3000 3D printer, this time we’re focusing on the software experience. Previously we’ve looked at the unboxing and setup as well as its operation. Why focus on the software? Isn’t this all about the printer itself? We believe the entire experience is important, from end to end. And… Continue reading Hands On With The BFB 3000: Software
Shoes by Andreia Chaves
We’re fascinated by the idea of 3D printed shoes for some reason. Perhaps it’s the notion of always having a shoe that fits perfectly. On the other hand, it might the limitless number of astonishing designs one can imagine are possible. One such design was recently made by Andreia Chaves and Freedom of Creation. … Continue reading Shoes by Andreia Chaves
Fiberglass Reinforced 3D Printing?
We ran across what appears to be an experiment by remote control flyers who are trying to hack super-strong airplane parts. The video doesn’t really explain what’s going on, but it appears that they might be trying to sandwich some strong fiberglass fabric within a 3D print. If so they’d have to design their model… Continue reading Fiberglass Reinforced 3D Printing?
MyBestFit Could Be MyOwnScan?
There’s an interesting problem with women’s clothes: the sizes are inconsistent between brands, leading to a lot of experimentation before the right item is selected. However, MyBestFit now offers (at least in some major USA malls at high-end shops) a 21st century solution. They take a quick 3D scan of the buyer, similar to what… Continue reading MyBestFit Could Be MyOwnScan?
Will Flexible Grids Lead to 3D Printed Cloth?
Experiments at LMNts Tech Studio are demonstrating the feasibility of printing flexible materials. Using their high-end commercial Objet 3D printer and 3D modeling software, they designed and printed a kind of miniature ball-and-socket joint. They linked many of these joints together in a mesh. A Flexible Mesh. But wait – isn’t fabric a… Continue reading Will Flexible Grids Lead to 3D Printed Cloth?
StrataSys Goes Acquiring
It seems the big guys have their corporate acquisition shopping carts in motion recently. While 3D Systems was scooping up other companies last week, this week it’s Stratasys’ turn. They’ve announced the acquisition of Solidscape for USD$38M. What is Solidscape? They are a niche 3D printer manufacturer that specializes in high-precision devices for producing… Continue reading StrataSys Goes Acquiring
Cory Doctorow on Big Ideas
Writer and Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow speaks eloquently in a new podcast on TVO about the future of regulation. Doctorow explains in plain language the troublesome future we may face if computing devices are regulated in the same ways we regulate specialized devices. He points out several examples where this approach simply won’t work… Continue reading Cory Doctorow on Big Ideas
Shapeways Glazes Over
We are continually amazed at the ingenuity of the Shapeways 3D print service; they seem to come up with new materials for their service almost every other week. Typically they experiment with them to see how well they are accepted and then decide whether and how to continue offering them. In the past they’ve pioneered… Continue reading Shapeways Glazes Over
Freedom of Creation: Absorbed!
We’ve written many times about the amazing 3D printed furniture and artwork produced by the design house Freedom of Creation, home of master designer Jyanne Kytannen. But today we learned that FOC, like many other 3D printing-related companies and services in recent weeks, has been acquired by industry giant 3D Systems. It’s been getting… Continue reading Freedom of Creation: Absorbed!
Hands On With The BFB 3000: Operation
In last week’s post we described the unboxing and set up of the BFB 3000 printer, which turned out to be a pretty good experience. Today we’re discussing the operation of the 3000. If you’re like us and have a dose of shiny object syndrome, you’ll definitely like the 3000. It’s a beauty to… Continue reading Hands On With The BFB 3000: Operation
Anderson Joins Ponoko
Wired editor in chief Chris Anderson has joined the advisory board of Ponoko. This is a very interesting development as it indicates growing and high-profile interest in personal manufacturing. Ponoko already has some interesting characters on their advisory board, including TreeHugger’s Graham Hill, CafePress’ Fred Durham and DesignLedFutures’ Ross Stevens. Anderson has for a… Continue reading Anderson Joins Ponoko
3D City Models Made By Missiles
Technology originally used for targeting missiles has been adapted to provide incredibly detailed 3D models of cities. Saab’s spin-off company C3 Technologies is gathering up a library of 20 city models suitable for licensing for mapping applications. We’re hoping they’ll make this data available for 3D printing, too. While we’re always watching for new… Continue reading 3D City Models Made By Missiles
A Really Big Unboxing
We thought we experienced a large unboxing when we uncrated a BFB 3000, but we were clearly outdone by i.Materialise. The 3D print service recently received a brand spanking new Fortus 900mc FDM large-scale production system from Stratasys. While we used a box cutter, i.Materialise had to use not only a crew of burly guys… Continue reading A Really Big Unboxing