3D-printing
Latest
Amazon is mass-producing face shields to sell to frontline workers
Amazon has donated nearly 10,000 face shields, and over the next few weeks, it plans to make hundreds of thousands available at-cost on Amazon.com.
This 3D-printed foam expands up to 40 times its original size
A team from UC San Diego developed a foaming resin that can expand to up to 40 times its original volume.
FDA clears Formlabs' 3D-printed BiPAP-to-ventilator converter
Formlabs received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA to 3D-print adapters that can turn sleep apnea machines into ventilators.
Scientists can 3D print insect-like robots in minutes
3D-printed 'flexoskeletons' make it possible to build a soft robot in less than two hours without extravagant costs.
3Doodler's newest kit lets preschoolers 3D-print tiny toys
3Doodler makes pens that shoot out lines of hot plastic, allowing you to make freeform 3D-prints without the hassle of learning how to use a dedicated printer. It already has products for the school and education markets, but now it's targeting an even younger group: preschoolers. The 3Doodler 3D Build and Play is a chunky gun-shaped device with a nozzle and trigger, as well as a turning handle.
Researchers find a way to 3D print whole objects in seconds
When you think of 3D printing, you probably imagine a structure being created layer by layer, from the bottom up. Now, researchers from Switzerland's Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) say they have developed a completely new way of creating 3D objects that offer remarkable resolution "in record time."
Ford is 3D printing unique wheel nut locks based on driver voices
If you've got a set of sweet alloys on your car, you've likely got them protected with locking nuts which can only be loosened with a special key. But these aren't invulnerable to thieves, who are increasingly targeting car parts as vehicle security becomes more sophisticated. As such, Ford has come up with a novel way of using 3D printing to keep your alloys safe.
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Researchers create bone-inspired 3D-printed building materials
You may not think of your bones as buildings, but researchers do. A team from Cornell University, Purdue University and Case Western Reserve University believes that by studying the internal structure of bones, they may be able to 3D-print stronger construction materials for homes and buildings.
The legal battle over 3D-printed guns is far from over
Last year, Defense Distributed won a legal battle, which allowed it to continue uploading and sharing blueprints for 3D-printed guns. The decision was immediately criticized by states and gun-reform advocates. Now, a US District Judge has overturned the ruling. Once again, it is illegal to publish blueprints for 3D-printed guns online.
Humanity is well on its way to a real-life Terminator uprising
The recent release of Terminator: Dark Fate saw both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton reprise their iconic roles and James Cameron's return as a writer and producer. While the sentient killing machines depicted in the Terminator franchise are comprised of CGI and Hollywood special effects, plenty of real world research is going into developing robots with similar capabilities, just without the murderous intent (we hope).
Harvard scientists have found a better way to 3D print organs
Scientists have experimented with growing organs in labs for years, but we're still years away from the technology being ready. Lab-grown organs are often too small for human use and lack an efficient mechanism for delivering oxygen. A group of scientists at Harvard's Wyss Institute have now developed a solution that will 3D print blood vessels on living tissues. Their paper, published today in Science Advances, explains how a new technique called the SWIFT method (Sacrificial Writing Into Functional Tissue), will enable the creation of larger, more effective organs.
Scientists bioprint living tissue in a matter of seconds
Bioprinting holds great potential for repairing injuries, testing drugs or replacing whole organs, but it's currently limited in complexity, viability and speed -- you can't just create tissue on a whim. Soon, though, it might be a matter of crafting whatever you need when you need it. Scientists at EPFL and University Medical Center Utrecht have developed an optical system that can bioprint complex, highly viable living tissue in "just a few seconds." It would represent a breakthrough compared to the clunky, layer-based processes of today.
NASA backs demo that will 3D-print spacecraft parts in orbit
NASA is expanding its efforts to bring 3D printing to space. The agency has given Made In Space a $73.3 million contract to demonstrate the ability to 3D-print spacecraft parts in orbit using Archinaut One (shown above), a robotic manufacturing ship due to launch in 2022 or later. The vessel will fly aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket and 3D-print two 32-foot beams on each side, with each unfurling two solar arrays. The completed arrays could produce up to five times more power than the solar panels you normally find on spacecraft this size, NASA said.
Mars crew could 3D-print skin and bones for injuries
A journey to Mars will take several months, and humans won't be able to turn back if an astronaut suffers a burn or a bone fracture. Which is why scientists at the University Hospital of Dresden Technical University have now produced the first bioprinted skin and bone samples for use in space. Even though treating patients with 3D-printed skin or bones is still in its early stages back on Earth, the technique is particularly vital in space, where the human body doesn't heal as quickly.
Scientists print first 3D heart using a patient’s own cells
Researchers at Tel Aviv University managed to successfully print the first ever 3D heart that uses cells and biological materials from a patient. The medical breakthrough, which was published today in Advanced Science, managed to produce an entire heart, complete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers -- a marked improvement over previous attempts that only printed simple tissues without vessels.
Formlabs promises smoother, cleaner 3D printing
Formlabs' 3D-printing technology is now being used to make razor handles, movie props and even false teeth. It makes sense, then, that the products coming out of its printers need to be as smooth as possible to avoid the need for extra finishing. That's the key benefit that the company is touting as it launches two new models, the Form 3 and Form 3L.
IKEA makes furniture more accessible with 3D printing
If you live with disabilities, shopping for furniture can be difficult. Many common furniture items aren't designed with accessibility in mind, and those that are can be rare or non-existent. IKEA Israel has a technological solution: 3D print pieces that make them easier to use. The store has collaborated with Milbat on ThisAbles, a project that provides 3D-printed add-ons for furniture that can be tough to use with certain conditions. Among the 13 initial items are easier-to-grab handles, bumpers to protect cabinets and lifts to raise couches.
Light waves allow scientists to 3D print with multiple materials
3D printing can already create sensors for NASA rovers, rocket engines, safer football helmets, dentures. Name it, and it seems like it can be 3D printed. But the technology is still pretty limited, partly because most 3D printing systems can only make parts made of one material at a time. Now, researchers at the University of Wisconsin have discovered a way to use light to 3D print with more than one material.
Robots are playing ASMR-infused techno at SXSW
In 2012, Moritz Simon Geist left a promising career as a research engineer in Germany to build robots and travel the world playing music full-time. He'd studied classical music in school, starting with the clarinet and piano, and toured with punk bands since he was a teenager in the '90s. That was when he started tinkering with equipment, building cheap solutions for complex audio problems and creating brand-new tools.
