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University of Glasgow scientists print drugs in 3D, pave the way for in-home pharmacies
Breaking Bad in 3D? If recent work by a team of University of Glasgow scientists persists, that could soon be a hard reality -- just without the glasses. Taking what's typically been the province of sanitized laboratories and moving it outside, the group's devised an efficient method that makes use of commercial-grade three-dimensional printers to create "reactionware vessels": custom-designed, polymer gels that house and aide in chemical reactions. The technique, already viable on a larger, albeit slower scale, is not quite ready for primetime, but with future refinements could eventually trickle down into small businesses, or third-world countries where it'd be used for rapid medical treatment. And, in a hypothetical scenario that'll likely provoke scrutiny from the FDA and DEA, consumers might one day be able to save a trip to the drugstore and simply print from home -- a decidedly different spin on designer drugs -- using apps. Of course, this is all just speculation of potential future applications. We trust that humanity and enterprise will put this medication replication to noble use -- until it hits the club, that is.
Drexel University turns to 3D scanners, printers to build robotic dinosaurs
3D printers, 3D scanners and robotics are usually more than enough on their own to get us interested in something, but a team of researchers at Drexel University have played one other big trump card with their latest project -- they've thrown dinosaurs into the mix. As you can probably surmise, that project involves using a 3D scanner to create models of dinosaur bones, which are then reproduced (at a somewhat smaller scale) using a 3D printer. The researchers then hope to use those to build working robotic models that they'll use to study how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals may have moved and lived in their environments. That work will start with a dinosaur limb that they expect to have completed by the end of the year, after which they say it will take a year or two to build a complete robotic dinosaur replica.
Chocolate printer makes 3D molds of your edible visions
3D has become an industry buzzword du jour. Tack that little epithet onto a consumer-facing product and voila!, you get to charge higher prices for its virtual premium. Well, it looks like a bunch of folks across the pond caught on and decided to throw a little cocoa powder into the mix. Funded by the Research Councils UK's Digital Economy program with oversight by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, as well as being led by the University of Exeter, the University of Brunel and software developer Delcam -- talk about too many cooks -- the tech that previously brought metal and plastic products to life is getting a chocoholic makeover. Using specially designed temperature and heating controls, the printer takes uploaded 3D CAD designs and turns them into the stuff of your sweet toothed dreams. Although you won't be seeing this printer at a boutique near you, there are plans for a made-to-order retail site that'll let you contribute homemade creations or modify someone else's. We understand if this gets your Valentine's anticipating heart all aflutter, but please don't make any actual chocolate hearts -- that's just gross.