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The first zero-g 3D printer is about to launch into orbit (update: launch scrubbed)
Gravity. More than the name of a killer movie, it's likely something we take for granted every single day. After all, nearly everything we do is reliant on the idea that stuff stays in place when we stop holding it. Astronauts don't have that luxury, however, and when even simple tasks take a ton of effort, something relatively complex like using a 3D printer is even harder. Why would astronauts need one of those? Well, because stuff breaks in space, and replacing a busted part isn't as simple as hitting Home Depot -- just ask the crew of Apollo 13. To help get around that, the folks at Made in Space have designed a 3D printer that circumvents the lack of Earth's gravity when used in orbit. Instead of molten filament essentially "stacking" on itself to form an object like it does planetside, according to The Verge, the Zero-G Printer liquid's surface-tension holds a widget together. Update: No launch tonight! Weather conditions forced a postponement. According to NASA, the next launch window is tomorrow night, on the 21st at about 1:52 AM ET.
3D-printed internet traffic looks a lot like your first attempt at pottery
Unless you live under the tyranny of a bandwidth cap, you probably aren't spending much time looking at the amount of data passing through your home network on a regular basis. But what if there was a way to visualize it beyond a graph, perhaps even in a way that you could touch? That's the idea behind EXtrace, a 3D printer that models the traffic from a German internet node. This isn't just any node, however. As 3DPrint tells it, the De-Cix in Frankfurt is one of the world's largest when it comes to data throughput. The printer uses this traffic as a basis for spitting clay onto a spinning plate, and each of the end-results represent two days worth of data transfers; more traffic in a given period means thicker sections of the column. And that's it, really. The EXtrace's creators say that they don't have any other plans for the prototype and that they've already moved on to other projects. Who knows, though -- maybe Will.I.Am would be into expanding on this sort of thing.
3D-printed mesh gives man with half a skull hope for recovery
People have been patching up their bodies with foreign parts for ages now, but 3D printing has only made that process easier, faster and more emblematic of hope. Case in point: a Chinese farmer named Hu fell three stories in a construction accident, and he has a shot at a normal life again thanks to a 3D-printed titanium mesh that doctors installed where the left side of his skull used to be. The accident left Hu with impaired vision and an inability to speak or write, so surgeons at Xijing Hospital in northwest China took him under the knife for three hours to return his skull cavity to its normal shape. It's too soon to tell if his normal brain function will return, though -- doctors hope his gray matter will slowly start to regenerate now that it has the space to grow. This isn't the first time 3D printed parts have complemented someone's cranium -- doctors in the Netherlands replaced most of a woman's skull with 3D printed plastic after it was discovered that the bone surrounding her brain was slowly growing thicker and threatening her cognitive future.
Solidoodle's latest 3D printer is friendly to newcomers
As much as 3D printers have evolved in their short history, they still tend to look like they were made for hobbyists, by hobbyists. You'll see boxy frames, sometimes with exposed parts -- and you may have only limited help if something goes awry. Solidoodle isn't happy with these intimidating designs, so it's launching a fifth-generation peripheral (the Press) that's kinder to first-time users. The 512-cubic-inch printer comes in a friendlier, enclosed design that looks more like a mini fridge than the raw machinery of Solidoodle's previous models. The spool is protected to prevent plastic filament jams, and the printing bed automatically calibrates itself -- you won't have to adjust it every time it's uneven.
Amazon now lets you customize and buy 3D-printed products
3D printing has made low-volume manufacturing of highly personalized products both affordable and accessible, but first you need a printer. A number of businesses have sprung up to bridge that gap -- investing in printers so you don't have to -- and now Amazon has opened up a dedicated storefront on its US site to connect customers with these sellers. The themed portal is stocked with over 200 products at launch, from jewelry to homeware to toys, that companies will print to order. Many can be also be customized, whether that simply be choosing a different color or tweaking numerous features of a design. You can also preview a 3D mockup of your creation before you buy, and now if you'll excuse us, we've got bobbleheads to order.
MakerBot 3D printers now available in a dozen Home Depot stores
The Home Depot's core business revolves around helping you craft things, so it stands to reason that you'd eventually find 3D printers there, doesn't it? Sure enough, that's what's happening today. You can now buy MakerBot's Replicator line at both the retailer's online store as well as a dozen brick-and-mortar locations spread across California, the greater Chicago area and New York City. In addition to hosting elaborate kiosks like the one you see here, shops will have staff on hand to both demonstrate 3D printing and give you keepsakes in hopes of clinching a sale down the road. It's tough to know if the Home Depot's gamble will pay off -- at last check, most people don't expect to find printers sitting alongside doorknobs and drill sets. If nothing else, it shows that the technology has a market outside of office supply stores and other places you might associate with run-of-the-mill 2D printing.
MakerBot's iPad app lets you sculpt 3D-printed objects from your couch
As a rule, serious 3D printers need equally serious design skills if you're building objects from scratch. That's no longer true for MakerBot's Replicators, though; the company has just trotted out PrintShop, an iPad app that takes the hard work out of making simple objects. You can build your own bracelets, rings and signs without knowing a lick about modelling software. If you'd like to craft something a little more sophisticated, you can browse a collection of ready-made items from the Thingiverse. We'd still suggest a rookie-friendly device like Printeer if you're primarily interested in basic designs, but this could be an easy way to let your kids in on the action -- or just to make something without leaving your sofa.
What you need to know about 3D printing
Dutch designer Iris van Herpen used one to send collections down the runway. Mink hopes you'll rely on one to create custom makeup at home. Andrey Rudenko is optimistic that he can use one to help him build his next home. And soon we'll create new human organs with them. The mysterious agent of change I'm referring to is 3D printing, of course. Though these machines were previously accessible to only a small group of wealthy hobbyists, that's no longer the case. As 3D printer prices have decreased and accessibility has increased, it seems like the possibilities are endless. But before each home has its own 3D printer, the technology is poised to dramatically impact how the industries we depend on manufacture the gadgets -- and everything else -- we know and love.
3D printer headed to the International Space Station this August
Astronauts on the International Space Station will need to make room for one more gadget: a NASA-certified 3D printer. The device, designed by Made in Space at NASA's Ames Research Park in Mountain View, will launch on SpaceX CRS-4 in August, a few months ahead of schedule. Initially, astronauts will test the printer in the ISS' microgravity environment, but eventually it could be used to build tools and other hardware needed for on-board repairs or cubesat deployments. Down the road, Made in Space's clients could also have access to the printer for their own experiments. "This is unprecedented access to space," CEO Aaron Kemmer said in a press release. "If you want to 3D print in space, contact us now." [Image credit: NASA]
Printeer is the 3D printer your kids can use
There's no denying that 3D printers are cool. However, they're not exactly easy to use for kids -- not unless Junior has a knack for modelling software, anyway. If Mission Street Manufacturing's Printeer hits its crowdfunding goal, though, children will have a 3D printer they can truly call their own. All you need to create a plastic masterpiece with Printeer is an iPad and a basic ability to draw. There's no scary-looking CAD programs or other intermediary tools. The machinery itself is also friendly to young creators, with both an easily removable build platform and a transparent shell that shows how all the parts work together. The company hopes that schools will use it to teach the basics of design and engineering to kids who might otherwise wait years to get started.
Formlabs' second-gen pro 3D printer is 50 percent faster
Formlabs' Form 1 was a top dog among 3D printers when it first shipped, but others have stepped up their game in the past year. It's about time for an upgrade, don't you think? Appropriately, the company has just unveiled the Form 1+, a big improvement to its now-familiar design. The new edition of Formlabs' pro-grade machine is all about raw performance -- a more powerful laser lets it print up to 50 percent faster, and its control system produces finer, smoother sculptures. It should be more reliable, too, thanks to an improved resin tank that better preserves your material.
MakerBot app lets you remotely check 3D prints in case they go all wrong
We love 3D printing, but let's face it: it's slow. Luckily, MakerBot has just given you a new way to track the progress of a printout from afar with its new iPhone app. Using the camera from any fifth-generation printer, MakerBot Mobile for iOS can show you an image of the build area every three seconds (from a local network) and ensure that Celtic skull isn't a beautiful failure. You can also use it to pause or cancel a job and get notifications when a 3D model is ready, for instance. It's also baked in its Thingiverse app, letting you browse thousands of models via the cloud and add them to your collections, or share your work on Thingiverse or social networks. Future updates include remote monitoring over a cellular network and more notifications (there's no Android app yet), but meanwhile, you can grab the iOS app right here.
The $250 MOD-t delivers simplicity and beauty in a 3D printer
Affordable desktop 3D printing is imminent, and today another option began its crowdfunding campaign. The folks at New Matter are looking to simplify the process so that anyone can output the items they desire, and to do so they've built the MOD-t. Aside from the clear enclosure for easy viewing and dapper industrial design, the software component is where the ease of use really shines. The outfit worked alongside Frog to develop a user interface that allows for quick design downloads, applying tweaks like you would a photo filter, easily sharing with friends and beaming projects to the minimally-designed printer. "At the end of the day, we wanted to be a 3D printing experience that is meaningful to the way that you currently approach communicating with the people in your life. Create relationships, not just objects," says Frog designer Christine Todorovich.
Autodesk is making a 3D printer to showcase its new software platform
The 3D printing process frustrates Autodesk CEO Carl Bass, so his company is looking to ease headaches with its new software project. Spark is an open platform effort that looks to create more reliable models while simplifying the steps needed to output them. By doing so, the outfit hopes to "set a new benchmark" for the production method, offering designers, manufacturers and others the tools needed to properly wrangle 3D printers. Not unlike what it has done with 3D animation and architecture, we'd surmise. In the days to come, Bass says Autodesk will work with other hardware makers to implement Spark on current-gen and forthcoming devices. What's more, Autodesk aims to release its own 3D printer later this year -- which the Wall Street Journal reports could be in the $5,000 price range. And just like Spark, the machine's "design" will be made available to the masses as well, hoping to inspire more experimentation amongst its users. The unit is said to also employ "a broad range of materials," but there's no further info on exactly what that list includes. Although, PLA is probably a safe bet.
3D printers find a home fighting disease in Syrian refugee camps
Sure, 3D printers can make guns, but it can also be used for good: for instance, its capability to create whatever you want gives it a bright future in humanitarian efforts around the globe. Oxfam (an organization that seeks to eradicate poverty) agrees, that's why it has partnered with online 3D printables platform MyMiniFactory for a mission in Lebanon. Their first collaboration? To find a printable water-efficient hand wash system for Syrian refugees who fled to the country in order to lower instances of diarrhea and other diseases. Here's how the partnership works: MyMiniFactory will accept design submissions from anyone, and then select a few to email the Oxfam team. The org will then print and test these designs onsite, and then email MyMiniFactory on how to tweak them and make them better. Sadly, not every org out there comes with a 3D printer in tow, but a lot of humanitarians recognize the technology's benefits and hope to take advantage of it soon. With the advent of more affordable 3D printers, that's looking more and more possible. So, we wouldn't be surprised if organizations start lugging around printers instead of actual equipment to produce everything from housing to medical supplies in the future.
Here's how Google's modular phone will get its 3D-printed parts
Google's modular Project Ara smartphone is all about customization, but that creates a challenge: how are manufacturers supposed to build so many uncommon (and possibly unique) parts? The crew at 3D Systems is more than happy to tell you -- it just outlined the 3D printing techniques it's using to make Ara a reality. The company is dropping the conventional printing process, which bogs down due to frequent changes in speed, in favor of a continuously moving system that's fast enough to cope with mass production. The technique should generate "millions" of parts, even when some components need special treatment.
Lix reveals a portable, pro-grade 3D printing pen
There's little doubt that 3Doodler's 3D printing pen is fun, but it's not strictly a precision tool; it's big, and mid-air drawing can get messy. Lix believes that pros need something more accurate, so it's crowdfunding a 3D pen of its own. The printer is about as slim and comfortable as a technical pen, giving it the kind of accuracy you'd need for air-drawn artwork and even some prototyping for architecture and fashion. It's easier to carry with you, as well -- Lix's device takes power from a USB port rather than a wall outlet, so you can draw wherever inspiration strikes.
Doctors want to fix you with 3D-printed tissues made from water droplets
Doctors dream of using 3D-printed tissues to patch up injuries, but current techniques tend to kill a lot of the cells used in the process. Thankfully, researchers at Oxford University spin-off OxSyBio have found a gentler way to build these materials. Their technique 3D prints water droplets filled with chemicals that let them change shape and transmit electrical signals like real cells. The result is both kinder to living tissues and more controllable -- you don't have to worry about growth or other organic reactions.
High school seniors conquer watery ketchup with 3D-printed bottle cap
3D printers have produced some pretty amazing (and scary) stuff, and now a pair of high school seniors have successfully used the tech to ensure they'll never have to eat a soggy hotdog again. Tired of the watery, separated ketchup you get from a bottle that's been sitting unused for a while, the two seniors went about solving the issue with the help of their school's 3D printer. What they ended up with was a replacement cap for bottles that forces the sauce out through an internal, raised tube. As ketchup leaves the bottle at a higher point, the standing water at the cap end stays inside. The simple but elegant fix may seem like a trivial use of 3D printing, but it's the perfect example of rapid prototyping, and the make-it-yourself attitude the technology is all about. There's even talk of the young dudes turning the project into something of a business venture, but if that doesn't work out, there'll almost certainly be scholarship spots for them at the MIT's ketchup vessel innovation department.
Philippe Starck wants you to make 3D-printed custom furniture
Philippe Starck is no longer satisfied with crafting exotic-looking products that don't change -- he wants to give you control over the design process. He tells the Wall Street Journal that his newly opened custom furniture venture, TOG, will eventually become an open source community that lets you create your own 3D-printed furniture and share designs with others. He'd also like to see kiosks that make it easy for anyone to produce their own furniture, even if they can't justify a 3D printer of their own.
