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Fungus headphones offer a glimpse at the renewable future of electronics
It turns out headphones are the perfect product to showcase the potential for growing electronics. The typical set has a mix of plastic, leather and mesh -- not the most environmentally friendly ingredients. To prove that we could swap those out for yeast, mushrooms and other microbe-grown materials, Finish design studio Aivan created headphones made from bioplastics and microbe derivatives.
Lockheed Martin creates its largest 3D-printed space part to date
Lockheed Martin has just finished the final series of quality control tests for an enormous titanium dome meant to serve as caps for satellite fuel tanks. It's not just any ordinary dome, though: the enormous component measures four feet in diameter and is the company's biggest 3D-printed space component to date. Its previous largest qualified space part is an electronics enclosure that's around the size of a toaster. This dome is large enough to seal fuel tanks bigger than humans and, according to Lockheed Martin, big enough to hold 74.4 gallons of coffee or 530 donuts. Glazed, of course.
3D-printed ovaries successfully produce healthy mice pups
Scientists all over the globe are working on the best way to 3D print different human organs for transplant. A team from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and McCormick School of Engineering, for instance, are developing 3D-printed ovaries that can boost hormone production and restore fertility. The researchers have even tested their creation on mice, which successfully ovulated and eventually produced healthy pups after their real ovaries were replaced. It even triggered lactation, so the mothers were able to nurse their young.
Adidas Futurecraft 4D shoes: The fourth dimension is hype
Adidas is getting serious about turning its 3D-printed concepts into consumer products. Last week, the sportswear giant revealed Futurecraft 4D, a sneaker designed partially with a manufacturing technology called Digital Light Synthesis, which creates 3D objects by mixing light and oxygen with programmable liquid resins. According to Carbon 3D, the Sillicon Valley firm who developed it, this process is capable of making "durable, high-performance" 3D parts, unlike other conventional 3D printing methods. In this particular case, that was used to make and shape the shoe's midsole, while the upper is made out of Adidas' Primeknit material.
Boeing uses first FAA-approved 3D-printed parts for the 787
Boeing expects to shave $2 to $3 million off each 787 Dreamliner's manufacturing costs by 2018, thanks to 3D-printed titanium. The company has teamed up with Norwegian company Norsk Titanium to create the first printed structural titanium components for a plane. As Reuters notes, General Electric already prints fuel nozzles for aircraft engines. However, this is the first time a company is using 3D-printed components for parts of a plane that bear the stress of an airframe during a flight.
V-Moda's Remix speaker can be customized with 3D-printed parts
V-Moda has been experimenting with 3D printing since 2015, when it started letting customers personalize their XS and Crossfade M-100 headphones with 3D-printed shields. Just in time to kick off the music section of SXSW, the company is now taking this a step further by introducing the Remix, a Bluetooth speaker that's customizable using 3D-printed parts made from different materials. They're sold separately and allow you to modify the speaker's housing, grille and sides, with prices ranging from $40 (fiber) to an insane $370,000 for a platinum version.
A San Francisco startup 3D printed a whole house in 24 hours
San Francisco-based startup Apis Cor built a whole house in a Russian town within 24 hours. It didn't repair an existing home or use prefabricated parts to make that happen -- the secret lies in 3D printing. The company used a mobile 3D printer to print out the house's concrete walls, partitions and building envelope. Workers had to manually paint it and install the roofing materials, wiring, hydro-acoustic and thermal insulation, but that didn't take much time.
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.
How a 3D-printed boat race united a Red Hook community
Last Sunday, nearly 500 people gathered at Valentino Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn, to cheer on close to 20 radio-controlled boats as they sped toward a target 150 feet away. The boat races were part of the second annual Red Hook Regatta, which was born last year as a means to highlight the area's history as a freight port, as well as the work of local youth. The competing vessels, which were either handmade or 3D-printed, were created to showcase the expertise of Red Hook's so-called Digital Stewards.
Adidas rewards its medal-winning Olympians with 3D-printed shoes
It's too early to tell whether 3D-printed footwear will ever be more than a gimmick. Still, you have to give credit to sportswear brands for trying something new, even if in some cases 3D printing is only used to make outsole prototypes. Last year, Adidas began showing the potential of the technology with concepts like Futurecraft 3D, a running shoe made partially out of 3D-printed materials. And now the company's taking that one step further: it created a ready-to-wear pair for its sponsored athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympics. As its name suggests, though, the "3D-printed Winners Shoe" will be limited to those who win a medal in Brazil.
Nike used 3D printing and Olympic sprinters to design its new track shoe
When Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competes in the women's 100m and 4x100m relay at the Olympics this month, she'll do so wearing what Nike claims is one of its most advanced track and field shoes yet. The 29-year-old Jamaican, who is favored for gold in Rio, actually helped Nike design her new spikes, the Zoom Superfly Elite. In the years leading up to the 2016 summer games, she worked with Nike's Sport Research Lab to figure out the ideal performance for a sprinter silhouette. Among other experiments, she test-3D-printed prototypes of the spikes, which were tailor-made based on captured data that measured her speed on the track and, most importantly, off the blocks.
Nike's latest soccer cleat is its most data-driven shoe yet
In soccer, like most other sports, footwear plays a major role in helping athletes perform at their best. Your shoes say a lot about who you are as a player, and you need them almost as much as you need the ball to play. This week, soccer pros all over the world will test-drive Nike's latest flagship football boot, known as the Magista 2. Unlike the original, released in 2014, Nike says its new model is fully driven by two years of research. Over that span, the sportswear giant relied on collecting athlete data and 3D-printed prototypes to build the design that hits stores tomorrow.
ICYMI: AI earbuds, 3D-printed casts and more
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: A Kickstarter project to give you artificial intelligence in earbud form is out in the world and we couldn't help but make just a little bit of fun. A startup wants to create 3D-printed casts for the broken-boned masses, since previous versions have been too expensive for all but the most elite professional football players. And a new drone would have you up your selfie game in a way you didn't even know you wanted. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
ICYMI: 3D-printed instrument, Humanoid diver and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-99267{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-99267, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-99267{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-99267").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Free 3D plans to create your own plastic violin should make the instrument a bit easier to take up; Stanford roboticists created a remotely-operated humanoid diver that can be haptically controlled from afar by its pilots, meaning they can feel what the diver does. And a table tennis projector can coach you on improving your lousy game, so nothing like this ever happens to you. Sick of those updates popping up during important moments? It can't be as bad as being live on-air. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
New Balance's rare 3D-printed running shoes cost $400
Late last year, following in the footsteps of rival Adidas, New Balance introduced its first 3D-printed running shoe. But the company didn't share many details back then, other than revealing the footwear's existence and teasing and eventual release. Thankfully for people who are interested, New Balance has announced that the Zante Generate will be available to consumers on April 15th, albeit in extremely limited form. There are only 44 pairs total, so you'll have to act fast if you want one.
Girl's superhero-inspired 3D-printed arm spews out glitter
When Jordan Reeves was given the chance to create her own superhero-inspired prosthetic arm, she conjured up something other 10-year-old girls can only dream of. She designed a cannon that can slip into her left arm that stops above her elbow and shoot sparkly ammunition: glitter. Jordan designed her "weapon" named Project Unicorn when she participated in nonprofit KIDmob's and 3D software company Autodesk's Superhero Cyborgs program in San Francisco. It connected kids with who needed prosthetic arms with engineers who helped them realize their own superhero-inspired designs.
ICYMI: Music with your eyes, 3D print everything and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-512707{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-512707, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-512707{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-512707").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: An engineer built a DIY musical instrument for people with disabilities, helping them create music with an eyetracking device. Two 3D-printed bits of technology caught our attention: One is for flesh, the other graphene aerogel. We are also reviewing a messenger app and a Kickstarter campaign for a speaker that basically makes us crazy. As always, please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
ICYMI: 3D-printed vertebrae FTW, YouTube blur and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-105465{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-105465, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-105465{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-105465").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: An Australian neurologist successfully used 3D printed replacements for vertebrae to save a man who would have died from cancer otherwise. YouTube has updated its editing tools to include a custom blurring option. Another new device for the problem of not having wireless service in the boonies is available, you just have to keep it on you... and whoever you're trying to contact. We also wanted you to see the latest Guinness Record for a robot solving a Rubik's Cube. It's less than a second and of course, incredible. As always, please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
Adidas Futurecraft 3D shows the potential of 3D-printed shoes
3D printing is far from being a novel manufacturing technique, but it wasn't until recently that we started seeing the benefits of it on a grander scale. Organs and prosthetics? Check. Clothing? Sure. 3D-printed footwear? Now we have those, too. Enter the Adidas Futurecraft 3D, a running shoe made partially with 3D-printed materials. Although the midsole is the only 3D-printed piece so far, the company's prototype still gives us a glimpse at what shoes might look like in the near future.
