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RISE:2013 highlights: Kinect rehab, Lego lobsters, 3D printed tech and more
We were excited and honored when the administration at Northeastern University asked us to help judge its RISE:2013 Research, Innovation and Scholarship Expo. The event, held at the physical education center on the school's Boston campus, brings together an incredibly diverse array of research projects covering a impressive number of fields, including physical and life sciences, engineering, humanities, arts & design, computer and information sciences, health sciences, law, business and social sciences. As you might imagine, scoring works across such a diverse array of concentrations is no easy task. We did, however, manage to pull out a handful of projects that will no doubt be of particular interest to our own readership. The list includes the use of a Kinect camera and PC for physical rehabilitation, the 3D printing of embedded electrical technologies, a Lego set that helps bridge the gap between crustacean and robot and a device that employs an Arduino board and video games to help stroke victims recover motor skills. Check out a video of all of the above just after the break.
USC starts a web hub for DIY, open source virtual reality projects
For the sheer variety of virtual reality headsets available, there's been few resources available for those who want to craft their own devices. USC wants to save us the effort of searching around. Its MxR Lab has just launched a showcase of creations and modifications that DIY enthusiasts can build, including open source code for both the devices and integrating full-body motion control through Kinect for Windows or OpenNI. The most ambitious is Socket HMD, a complete 1,280 x 800 headset that involves a 3D-printed shell and custom-assembled electronics. If your own ambitions don't stretch that far, you can still build the VR2GO viewer, which uses iPhones and iPod touch players as the eyepieces, as well as mods for the Oculus Rift developer kit that add stereo cameras or increase the field of view. Yes, you'll need a 3D printer and a knack for programming to get most of these projects going, but you won't have to wait for someone to make them for you -- a big help when many ready-made VR displays are either in development or priced out of reach for the average person.
3D Printing Goes Mainstream liveblog
3D printers might one day be as common as inkjets, letting you conjure up plastic visions of whatever pops into your head. At least, that's the vision of its promoters and there's now a wide variety of models and form factors in the market ranging from sub-$1,000 price tags up to $3-4k for more sophisticated systems. But despite the obvious utility for designers, prototypers and the like, will less demanding users warm to the tech? Join moderator Brian Heater for a discussion of 3D printing's future with Hod Lipson, Professor of Engineering, Cornell University; Max Lobovsky, Co-Founder, FormLabs; and Avi Reichental, President & CEO, 3D Systems. March 16, 2013 1:00 PM EST
Live from Expand: 3D Printing Goes Mainstream (video)
Is 2013 the year that 3D printing goes mainstream? The technology is already decades-old, having been used to great effect in the world of industrial prototyping, but as more and more companies enter the fray, the world of consumer-facing printing seems less and less of a pipe dream. Is the world ready for a 3D printer on every desk? Join us as we speak to Hod Lipson, Professor of Engineering, Cornell University; Max Lobovsky, Co-Founder, FormLabs; and Avi Reichental, President & CEO, 3D Systems. March 16, 2013 1:00 PM EDT For a full list of Expand sessions, be sure to check out our event hub.
Makerbot and Adafruit selling special edition 3D printer: Raspberry Pi, other kits included
We honestly hadn't given it much thought, but now that it's been brought to our attention, Makerbot and Adafruit really do make an awesome duo. Think about it: one makes 3D printers, the other sells Arduino boards and pretty much everything else a tinkerer could possibly want. So it makes sense that the two companies are teaming up on something: we just heard they've started selling a limited edition version of Makerbot's Replicator 2 3D printer, which will come bundled with three DIY kits you'd normally buy on a site like Adafruit. These include the Raspberry Pi, which you all know very well, along with the Timesquare DIY Watch Kit and MintyBoost, the open-source hardware charger. You might wonder why someone might need all that in one box, but the idea is that you can use the printer to create the sorts of custom parts that don't necessarily come with the kits -- something like a band to go with your Timesquare watch, or a case for the MintyBoost. All told, you'll need $2,296 before you can make this your next impulse buy. Don't get too put off by the price, though -- the Replicator 2 by itself would cost $2,199 without any kits included.
DIYRockets starts a challenge to build open source, 3D-printed rocket engines
DIYRockets believes that our chances of advancing space exploration improve when everyone can lend a hand. The company is putting its money where its mouth is by launching a competition to develop 3D-printed rocket motors using Sunglass' cloud design platform. Teams who sign up have to build an engine that could boost a nanosatellite-level payload into low Earth orbit using 3D-printed steel and other safe materials. The only major stipulations are that creators present a good business case and open-source their creations to help out other builders. DIYRockets' prize strategy reflects its for-the-greater-good ambitions: there's a $5,000 award for the best motor, but there are separate $2,500 prizes for both a student creation and the design that contributes the most to the industry. Registration officially starts on March 9th, and runs until April 6th, with the finished models due on June 1st. We'll be closer to a crowdsourced vision of space when the winners are revealed by July 1st.
MakerBot unveils prototype Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, promises easier 3D printing
Well, that was quick. Bre Pettis just started delivering South By Southwest's opening remarks and may well have taken the wraps off the biggest news of the show. Of course, we'll still have to hang out in Austin for a few more days just to, you know, totally make sure, but this really does feel like a doozy. As the MakerBot CEO puts it, "It's a natural progression for us to create a product that makes 3D printing even easier" -- but, let's be honest, few of those who don't have a vested interest in moving some 3D printers are running around calling the whole process particularly "easy." And while consumer-facing devices like the Replicator, CubeX, Solidoodle, et al. have gone a ways toward making the technology more accessible for laypeople, there's still a fundamental breakdown: the creation of models to be printed. The maker community has helped on that front, as well, with MakerBot's Thingiverse serving as an unparalleled resource for 3D images, meaning that, once your printer's all set up and calibrated, you can download and print to your heart's delight -- but what if, say, you want to print up something that some kindly soul hasn't designed for you? You could learn a CAD program -- or you could invest in an industrial 3D scanner. The latter option has lead to something of a land rush of companies and individuals looking to break things wide open with an affordable, consumer-facing offering. And while MakerBot still seems a ways away from the final product, the company used SXSW as a platform to unveil a prototype of its MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner.
Patient has 75 percent of his skull replaced with 3D-printed prosthetic
Earlier this week, an un-named man in the United States had 75 percent of his skull replaced with a 3D-printed plastic prosthetic, the first-known operation of its kind. The transplant was carried out by Oxford Performance Materials, which received approval to carry out such procedures from the US Food and Drug Administration last month. The company crafted the artificial skull based on a 3D scan of the patient's head, and the polyetherketoneketone prosthetic sports holes meant to encourage the growth of new cells and bone. According to the firm, about 500 people in the US could benefit from this technology each month. It's a fascinating implementation of a technology that's better associated with figurines and animation, but here's hoping we never witness the innovation firsthand.
Solidoodle 3D printing stores set to bring 'upscale fashion shopping' to Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan
Looking for an "upscale fashion shopping experience" in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan or Belarus? Solidoodle's got your back. The company is set to launch 3D printing stores in those areas, featuring its low cost 3D printers and "lifestyle" items created on said devices. The Russian store is set to be the first to open this summer. The company also used its press conference today to announce plans to sell printers in Brazil, Canada, Korea and Japan, as well as a join initiative with Georgia Institute of Technology's Mars Society to test the devices in "harsh environments like Mars" (places like Utah, apparently). More info on the announcements can be found in an exceedingly enthusiastic press release after the break. Update: Solidoodle shot us a note to let us know that the retail locations won't be offer existing printers, but rather a "yet-to-be-announced model" from the company. A 4D printer, perhaps? Fingers crossed.
3D? Feh. MIT has already moved on to 4D printing (video)
The bad news: just as much of the world is starting to get excited about the prospects of 3D printing, science is moving on to the world of 4D. The good news: in the future, you might not have to assemble that Ikea chair yourself. "4D printing" is the term cientists are using to refer to a technology that MIT's Skylar Tibbits talked up during a recent TED appearance. The fourth "d" here is time, referring to an object that, once printed, is capable of changing shape (over time, naturally). "Essentially the printing is nothing new," Tibbits told the BBC. "It is about what happens after." So far the concept has been demonstrated with thin strands of plastic, which, once added to water, form into a predetermined shape, using energy from the absorption. Suggested future applications involve furniture, pipes, bikes and buildings. First, however, scientists will have to demonstrate the technology on a larger structure, of course, and they'll explore the possibility of other energy sources, like heat, sound and vibration.
Nike launches its first 3D-printed football cleat, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be pleased
While we're still giddy at the idea of printing our own phone case, Nike's gone more than a few steps further with its latest innovation. The Swoosh has managed to 3D print the base plate of its latest football cleat, the Vapor Laser Talon. The boot was created using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which uses high-powered lasers to fuse pieces of plastic together, rather than the more basic methods we've seen in the Makerbot. Not only did SLS enable the company to produce a shoe that would otherwise be impossible with traditional manufacturing techniques, but it was also hammered-out in a fraction of the time. There's no line on when we'll be able to pick one up (or how much it'll cost you), but we imagine you'll pay a premium for that extra bit of speed.
Cornell scientists 3D print ears with help from rat tails and cow ears
Science! A team of bioengineers and physicians over at Cornell University recently detailed their work to 3D print lifelike ears that may be used to treat birth defects like microtia and assist those who have lost or damaged an ear due to an accident or cancer. The product, which is, "practically identical to the human ear," according to the school, was created using 3D printing and gels made from living cells -- collagen was gathered from rat tails and cartilage cells were taken from cow's ears. The whole process is quite quick, according to associate professor Lawrence Bonassar, who co-authored the report on the matter, "It takes half a day to design the mold, a day or so to print it, 30 minutes to inject the gel, and we can remove the ear 15 minutes later. We trim the ear and then let it culture for several days in nourishing cell culture media before it is implanted." The team is looking to implant the first ear in around three years, if all goes well.
3Doodler is a $75 3D-printing pen eagerly awaiting your Kickstarter funding (hands-on)
In April of last year, former MakerBot COO Samuel Cervantes launched the Solidoodle, a $500 3D printer. We were a bit taken aback by the price point -- after all, his former company's product had seemingly set the standard for consumer-facing 3D-printer pricing at around $2,000. We're hoping you've got both hands firmly clutching your hat when we tell you that the 3Doodler, a 3D-printing pen from the crew over at Wobbleworks, is going to run a whopping $75 at launch -- and heck, if you get in early on the company's recently launched Kickstarter, you'll be able to snag one for $50. Before we go any further, however, let's get some things out of the way. For starters, it's best to take the 3D printer thing with a grain or two of salt. Calling the 3Doodler a 3D pen is a bit like calling a high-end ink pen a 2D printer. The device is actually quite simple, but pretty brilliant. It essentially takes the heated extrusion head off a 3D printer and incorporates it into a standalone device. A single piece of plastic (ABS or PLA, for the more environmentally minded out there) is threaded through the back, fed through the pen and comes out melted through the tip. Yes, like its 3D printer brethren, it works a bit like a hot glue gun.
Sandboxr lets us easily make custom-posed, 3D-printed figurines (video)
Where was Sandboxr when we were kids? Instead of dragging our parents around on a hunt for the perfect figurine, we could have used the company's new web app to easily manipulate a virtual model and get a 3D printed statuette in the exact pose we wanted. There's compensation for the lost opportunities of our childhood, however. The creation tool allows for customized accessories, scenes and sizing, and it's expected to have reasonable prices of about $12 for a 2.5-inch character and over $20 for a 3.5-inch version. The best news may simply be the likelihood of a figurine existing in the first place -- Sandboxr sees itself as a platform for everyone from 3D animators through to game developers and dedicated toy companies, many of which can use existing 3D models to start a collectible line. The printing service is currently invitation-only and plans a Kickstarter fundraising drive to scale larger, but it's easy to see an end to the days of limited edition figurines -- much to the delight of our inner child.
Scientists 3D-print embryonic stem cells, pave the way for lab-made organ transplants
3D printers already have a firm footing the commercial market, with more than 20 models available for well-heeled DIYers, and the technology's appeal isn't lost on the scientific community. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland has developed a method for 3D-printing clusters of human embryonic stem cells in a variety of sizes. Researchers have successfully printed 3D cells before, but this is the first time that embryonic cell cultures, which are especially delicate, have been built in three dimensions. Human embryonic stem cells can replicate almost any type of tissue in the human body -- and the scientists at Heriot-Watt believe that lab-made versions could one day be used to make organ transplants, thereby rendering donors unnecessary. In the nearer future, 3D-printed stem cells could be used to make human tissue models for drug testing; effectively eliminating the need for animal testing. Makes that Burritob0t look a little less ambitious, doesn't it?
ESA tests prospect of 3D printing Moon bases with lunar soil
Building a base on the Moon poses a rather large logistics problem when all the construction material has to make a 238,900-mile journey. The European Space Agency has proposed packing light: it's teaming with Foster + Partners to test the possibility of 3D printing not just the tools, but whole lunar buildings. The current method would bind powder in layers to create hollow, cellular building blocks that are both sturdy and relatively light. With an improved D-Shape printer from Monolite, the ESA believes it could finish a whole structure inside of a week -- if only we could finish most Earth-bound homes so quickly. There's no word on the likelihood of any spacefarers using the technique, but it's easy to see the value of leaving more room for the supplies that really matter.
The shape of things to come: A consumer's guide to 3D printers
CES 2013 proved to be something of a coming out party for consumer-facing 3D printers. Sure MakerBot earned a fair amount of attention at last year's show with the announcement of the Replicator, which snagged its share of awards from various press outlets. This year, however, saw a relative deluge in 3D-printing representation, with strong showings from 3D Systems, FormLabs, MakerBot and the cloud-based 3D printer, Sculpteo. Even with so many companies rising to prominence, the dream of truly mainstream 3D printing still feels a ways off -- if that is indeed where we're inevitably heading. These nascent days are an exciting time, with a diverse array of companies and organizations vying to be the first to bring the technology to our homes. In a sense, many roads lead back to RepRap, the open-source, community-fueled project aimed at creating a self-replicating machine. As such, the same basic technology underlies many of these devices. At their core, these 3D printers are not unlike their 2D counterparts, offering a way to translate images on computer screens into real-world analogs -- only in this case they're objects you can hold in your hand. Most of these work by melting plastic (largely Lego-like ABS or biodegradable PLA) and squirting it out through extruder heads. The heads operate along the X and Y axes, while the build platform (generally heated in the case of ABS and unheated for PLA) moves downward, allowing the glue gun-like extruders to build up the thin layers of plastic. Some printers rely on other technologies, many of which are rooted in the world of rapid prototyping, a category of fabrication that has been around for decades and used by companies like Boeing and Ford to created scale models of concepts. There are a surprising number of companies and organizations currently invested in the space, be it through pre-fabricated models, kits or open-source, downloadable plans. We pulled together a list of some of the most prominent, which you can check out after the break.
Insert Coin: DeltaMaker fuses razzle-dazzle with 3D-printing
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. "Why should a 3D printer look like a microwave oven?" That's the question being posed by the DeltaMaker Kickstarter project team, which thinks it can put some showbiz into 3D printing using a so-called delta robot platform. That type of design uses three parallel arms to control the print head, enabling a device that's not only "fun to watch," according to the group, but that can also quickly print high resolution objects with a large 9-inch by 11-inch build envelope. The open-cage printer will work using "fused filament fabrication" with 1.75mm filament, and will also feature 100 micron layer resolution (0.1 millimeter), rigid aluminum construction, an open-source software tool chain and optional heated build platform. The company sees it putting on a 3D printing show in "living rooms, waiting rooms, and classrooms," with a current Kickstarter price between $1,400 and $1,600, depending on how soon you pony up. After five days, the project is nearly halfway to its $107k goal, with backers having already snapped up early deals as cheap as $500. Check the video after the break to see how it works, or hit the source to pledge. [Thanks, Jake]
Nokia releases 3D-printing specs for making custom Lumia 820 back covers
One of the great things about Nokia phones from way back when was making it your own with swappable plastic. While that level of exterior personalization isn't available on many handsets these days -- instead we've got bumpers and cases -- Nokia added a removable shell to its Lumia 820 Windows Phone. You can always go ahead and buy new ones, but if you've got access to a 3D printer, Nokia has just released a "3D-printing Development Kit" with all the documentation you'll need to create a custom backing for yourself. It's available for download from the source links below, and contains "3D templates, case specs, recommended materials and best practices."
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Sculpteo's Clément Moreau (update: video embedded)
For a few years now, Sculpteo has taken a different approach to goal of mainstreaming 3D printing. While the competition races to produce the first popular consumer printer, Sculpteo keeps its eyes on the cloud. We'll be discussing the company with co-founder and CEO Clement Moreau. January 11, 2013 5:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
