3dprinting
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3Doodler's new kits help kids craft their own robots
It used to be that if you gave a 3Doodler Start to a child, you'd have to throw them some stencils or otherwise pray they were creative enough to make something neat. Not so anymore. Eager to empower a new generation of Boston Dynamics engineers, 3Doodler is releasing a new robotics kit that lets kids — what else? — create their own moving machines out of melted plastic and sheer moxie.
Boeing's Starliner space taxi will have over 600 3D-printed parts
Boeing may have pushed the Starliner's first trip to the ISS back to 2018, but we're sure to get more details about the space taxi between now and then. Reuters reports the spacecraft will pack more than 600 3D-printed parts thanks to Boeing's recent deal with Oxford Performance Materials. Printed with a plastic called PEKK, the parts are expected to perform well under the stress of spaceflight and extreme temperatures.
ICYMI: Boeing's swanky new space suits and 3D-printable skin
Today on In Case You Missed It: Boeing debuted its next-generation flight suit that astronauts will be wearing aboard its Starliner CST-100 when the spacecraft takes off in 2018. They're cooler, lighter and far more fashionable than the ones US Shuttle crews had to wear into space. Plus, who doesn't want to look like Benny the blue LEGO space guy? That's not all, a team of Spanish researchers have announced that they can now "print" human skin from their prototype 3D bioprinter. Simple culture some cells, feed them into the printer and this thing will spit out functional human skin. If only this technology were around in 1990, Liam Neeson wouldn't have had to go and kill all those folks who burned him alive. And finally, we got your TL;DR right here, folks. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
MIT wants you to change 3D-printed objects after you make them
When you 3D-print an object, that's usually all she wrote -- the polymers "die" and prevent you from either adding to your creation or altering its properties. However, things might not be set in stone (or rather, plastic) for not much longer. MIT researchers have developed a method that lets you modify polymers and mess with your original creation. The key is to create accordion-like 'living' polymers that stretch when you expose them to blue LEDs, giving you a chance to alter their properties. You could fuse objects together, soften them, or even alter their water resistance.
The best home 3D printer for beginners (so far)
By Signe Brewster This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. Though 3D printers have until recently been too expensive and complex for curious beginners, it's possible to find a relatively inexpensive and approachable model to use at home. We spent 20 hours researching and testing three of the best beginner-focused 3D printers we could find and think the Tiertime Up Mini 2 is the best choice for most people just starting out with 3D printing. It has the best combination of reliability, features, and style. It was the easiest to set up and produced the highest number of great-quality prints of all the printers we tested.
MIT's 3D graphene is ten times stronger than steel
An awful lot of ink has been spilled about how graphene is going to basically save the world with its myriad applications and powers. But chances to actually see evidence of how and why the hexagonal lattices are so strong in a life-size way have been few and far between. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has changed that. The school's latest experiment uses graphene material that's 5 percent as dense as steel and ten times the metal's strength, showing what's possible when the composite is more than just a flat sheet.
3D-printed ceramics and metals might finally arrive this year
Remember 3D printing? A couple years ago it was hotly tipped to revolutionize manufacturing, since you could have a whole factory in your home! Except, really, it wouldn't, because spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a box to make cute plastic doodads wasn't really what most folks wanted. A few years later, having a 3D printer at home is still generally unnecessary, but that may change, and soon. Ish.
The da Vinci Nano is a plug-and-play 3D printer that costs only $230
XYZprinting is known for offering a variety of 3D printers, some of which rival the likes of Makerbot's Replicator line and other high-end hardware. But the company has also been making some that are both portable and affordable, as was the case with its sub-$300 da Vinci Mini. At CES 2017, it is going one step further by introducing the da Vinci Nano, a full-fledged 3D printer priced at just $230. And although the machine is designed for people who are new to the technology, XYZprinting says the idea is to not compromise on the features and overall quality of the product.
Taking a walk in Adidas' 3D-printed running shoes
It's hard to believe it was only last year when Adidas revealed its first 3D-printed shoe concept. But the German sportswear giant is moving fast with its Futurecraft project, a collection of innovative footwear that also includes biodegradable sneakers. The latest in this line is the Adidas 3D Runner, which features a midsole and heel tab created from 3D-printing materials. Primeknit, the same fabric used on Three-Stripe models such as the Yeezy and Ultra Boost, makes up most of the rest of the silhouette.
Adidas' latest 3D-printed running shoe will cost you $333
3D printing has proven to be useful across many different areas, including the creation of lifestyle products for consumers. Adidas, for one, began toying with the idea of 3D-printed footwear in recent years, which led to the introduction of its Futurecraft 3D concept in 2015. But the German sportswear company doesn't want to stop there. Today, it announced that it will be selling a 3D-printed running shoe for the first time, albeit in limited-edition form. Not to crush your enthusiasm early on, but these are going to be hard to get.
Hospital to get first dedicated 3D tissue-printing facility
You still can't get a 3D-printed liver transplant made from your own cells, but an Australian hospital is trying to push the tech into the mainstream. The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane is building a dedicated "biofabrication" space where doctors and researchers can develop tech to model and print cartilage, bone and other human tissue. "It will be the first time a biomanufacturing institute will be co-located with a high-level hospital," said Australian Minister of Health Cameron Dick.
3D-printed titanium hips will last longer with less pain
A mechanical engineering professor at McGill University has designed a new 3D-printed titanium hip replacement that will not only take the place of your aging femur, but can also fool the living bone into working harder for longer. According to the University, Damiano Pasini's femoral stem is printed with a "hollowed-out tetrahedra" design that resembles the porousness of actual bone, rather than dense materials of older hip replacements.
Reebok Liquid Speed shoes use 3D drawing for a better fit
We've seen a number of limited release shoes built using 3D printing, but now Reebok is coming in with its own attempt to rethink the traditional molding process. Reebok's Liquid Factory draws the frame of these shoes in three dimensions, using a special "high rebound" liquid created by BASF. According to Head of Future Bill McInnis, this helps "create the first ever energy-return outsole, which performs dramatically better than a typical rubber outsole." Also, the Liquid Speed's winged frame wraps up and over the shoe, making for a tighter fit in all directions.
Ultimaker 3 can 3D-print using two materials at once
There aren't many 3D printers out there that have two extruders for putting out two materials at once, and of those even fewer are ready to hit the market. But Ultimaker's latest device is up to the task. The Ultimaker 3, which starts at $3,495, has two extruders that can hold different materials so you can produce more intricate prototypes. The device also comes with WiFi and Ethernet support, in addition to a USB port, so it can receive your jobs over the internet.
ICYMI: Family seamstresses will be replaced soon enough
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Robots have finally gotten around the 'needing human assistance' thing when it comes to sewing clothing. The Sewbo is one such option, which can stitch together clothing as long as the garment is first dipped in a stiffening solution that makes it feel like cardboard.
MIT's Foundry software is the 'Photoshop of 3D printing'
Because the materials from a 3D printer aren't the most functional, their output has largely been limited to prototyping in the past. That should change in the near future with devices like MIT's own MultiFab, which can print up to 10 different materials at a time, but it still doesn't solve the problem of how to design such complex objects. That's where the new program called Foundry, created by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory comes in.
ICYMI: Airbag helmets might save your noggin
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Stanford researchers just wrapped up a study of bike helmets that found a clear winner with the caveat that it's not available in the US yet. Airbag helmets (like these) are only sold in Europe but are far superior at keeping test heads safe in an impact.
Honda's 3D-printed customizable EV has motorcycle bones
Honda isn't the first company to reveal vehicles with 3D-printed panels, details and more. However, it's certainly one of the biggest, so its efforts warrant a closer look. Fresh off the heels of the Paris Auto Show, Honda showed off its Variable Design platform for micro EVs: petite cars where space -- and weight -- is at a premium. The automaker wants to offer a vehicle with a customizable layout where drivers can choose what they need. That could be lowered entry points at the doors for senior drivers, a hatchback trunk for delivery vehicles or space for a family of three. (Somehow!) Let's take a closer look:
MIT's shock-absorbing robots are safer and more precise
Soft robots aren't just about speed and grace... they should be safer, too. To prove that point, MIT's CSAIL has developed bouncing robots whose 3D-printed soft skins act as shock absorbers. The technique revolves around printing a "programmable viscoelastic material" where every aspect of the skin (which includes solids, liquids and a rubber-like substance called TangoBlack+) is tuned to the right level of elasticity. The robot can give way where it needs to, but remain solid otherwise. As a result, it can bounce around without taking damage, and land four times more precisely than it would with an inflexible surface.
3D print your own 'Skylanders' hero with the Creator app
With Disney Infinity on its way out, it's down to Skylanders and Lego Dimensions to maintain the toys-to-life dream. Skylanders is the oldest of the two and this year, its new gimmick is the ability to create custom "Imaginator" heroes. Which sounds great, except there's an obvious problem -- the point of the franchise is to collect physical figurines too. How is that possible with player-created characters? Well, today Activision Blizzard has the answer: Creator, a mobile app which lets you order 3D-printed versions. They'll be available in "limited quantities," however, so you'll need act fast if you want to immortalise your handiwork.
