3D Printing Ideas That You Can Try Out Today
It’s no secret that 3D printing is poised to take the world by storm in the not-so-distant future. The technological progress achieved in just a few short years gives hope that one day the entire manufacturing industry will be revolutionised, turning every willing person into a designer and unleashing the creativity of the world at large. While we’re not quite there yet, the list of things that can already be brought to life is astounding.
But what exactly is 3D printing and how does it work ? The first 3D printer was developed in the early 1990s at MIT, who continue to be at the forefront of the 3D printing revolution today. Using an additive manufacturing technology, 3D printing allows for the creation of 3-dimensional objects from a standard Computer Aided Design file, or CAD for short. Different types of plastic are used as raw materials to be melted and turned into solid objects through successive layering. While not long ago 3D printing was restricted to development labs and big companies, now small businesses and even individual users can get in on the fun. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few 3D printing ideas that are sure to make a splash in the years to come:
- Bringing apps to life
Nowadays almost everyone has spent time perusing the myriad applications available for smartphones, tablets and laptops. What 3D printing can do is take the colorful characters from such apps and videogames and bring them into real life. Everything from dolls to action figures can be created with relative ease through intuitive and easy-to-use software programs. You can even opt to make an action figure of yourself, through the use of a 3D scanner that can capture an individual’s unique look and turn it into a fun figurine.
- Designing automobiles
On the more serious side, even something as big as an automobile can be successfully built in this day and age using solely 3D printing methods. While big time car manufacturers have only dipped their toes in the water so far, a small American company named Locals Motors already has a fully functional car out. Called the Strati , this roadster is the world’s first 3D-printed car. With a sturdy frame and an eye-catching design, this prototype is indicative of the marvels that are soon to come.
- Tools for sprucing up the office
It’s important to note that 3D printing isn’t just for large-scale projects. Indeed, there are plenty of ways to use 3D printers to design objects that can significantly improve the atmosphere and efficiency of a simple office setting. Everything from wall mounted cable keepers to modular desk organisers to snazzy lamps can be designed and created this way. Aside from fostering independence and encouraging self-sustainability, such products are also very easy to customise, allowing users to tinker with them until they fulfill their goals.
- Jets, robots and beyond
While it may seem inconceivable to people unfamiliar with the technology, 3D printing has evolved in leaps and bounds ever since its conception just a few short decades ago. Already there have been several instances where the technology has proven sufficient for designing highly complex items that in the past would have required the use of industrial machinery. For instance, GE Aviation has successfully managed to created 3D-printed parts for its aircraft engine platform, which are lighter and more durable than what would’ve been achievable through conventional manufacturing. And MIT has recently unveiled the first line of hydraulically-powered robot bodies that require no assembly and use solid and liquid materials at the same time . With further developments on the horizon, it is only a matter of time before commercially-available 3D printers will be able to generate robots in a single step.
As you can see, the time of 3D printing is already upon us. The degree to which this technology is going to change our lives is as of yet hard to predict, but it will undoubtedly be one of the defining technological revolutions of this era. Embracing change may not always be the easiest thing to do, but 3D printing promises to improve and enrich life as we know it, which is why it deserves our full support and attention. Because when it comes to 3D printing, the sky’s the limit.
3D Printing
Bill Gordon
University Students Make A 3D Printer That Prints Soil And Grass
The future means printing your own garden. Yes, that’s the idea behind printGreen designed by the students at University of Maribor. It’s a CNC machine (which means it’s entirely computer controlled) that prints using a mixture of grass seeds, soil and water. The images will sprout grass later on, making for some crazy green designs. As long as clay soil and small seeds are used, anyways – the former for better printing, the latter to fit through the nozzle!
The project was made by a student group headed by prof. Dušan Zidar of the University Of Maribor, Slovenia. The group was comprised of Maja Petek, Tina Zidanšek, Urška Skaza, Danica Rženičnik and Simon Tržan. The project website states that “Print Green transverses the term ‘think, before you print’ as the used motto and turns it into the slogan of an alternative modern society – “print, because it is green”.
More info: print-green.org | facebook (h/t: mymodernmet )
Watch it write its own name:
Martynas Klimas
Writes like a mad dervish, rolls to dodge responsibility, might have bitten the Moon once.
3D-Printed City Shells For Hermit Crabs by Aki Inomata
Japanese artist Aki Inomata combines architecture, cutting-edge 3D printing technology and hermit crabs together in one brilliant project, titled “Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs?” Inspired by the urban landscapes of the biggest cities in the world, Inomata used 3D printing to create elegant shells for the little hermit crabs, which change their shelters as soon as they grow out of their old ones. As they often borrow shells cast off by other species (like sea snails), Inomata decided to hand them beautiful new specially-made shelters instead.
The artist came up with this unique idea when she found out about a similar bit of behavior among humans; the location of the former French Embassy in Japan, which had been French land, became Japanese from October 2009 for the following fifty years, after which it will be returned to France. “ The same piece of land is peacefully transferred from one country to the other, ” writes Inomata. “ These kinds of things take place without our being aware of it. “
Be sure to click on the videos below, which will show not only the process of hermit crab shell 3D printing, but also the surreal spectacle of the crabs receiving their gifts.
More info: aki-inomata.com (h/t: spoon-tamago )
New York City
Windmill landscape
Thailand
Santorini, Greece
Port City
Greece
Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs?
Process:
Audra
Injured Tortoise Freddy Gets World’s First 3D Printed Shell
Things were looking grim for tortoise Freddy when he was caught in a bush fire in Brazil. Thankfully a group of tech savvy surgeons called The Animal Avengers assembled to his rescue and gave Freddy a second chance in the form of an awesome 3D printed shell.
“ Freddy was the first tortoise in the world to receive a fully rebuilt hull and the first creature that we, as a newly formed group of animal rescuers, decided to help, ” said the designer Cicero Moraes. He managed to recreate a 3D version of a former shell looking only at Freddy’s pictures. The design was sent to a dental surgeon, Dr. Paulo Miamoto, who then 3D printed the actual shell.
Awesome news for Freddy, and a glimpse into the promising future for the rest of us.
(h/t: boredpanda )
Freddie the tortoise is lucky to be alive after getting burned in a bush fire
His shell was badly damaged so a group of volunteers made him a new one…with a 3D printer!
The group call themselves The Animal Avengers, and as you can see, their skills are superhuman
The new shell fitted Freddy perfectly but it needed a little color
So the team hand-painted it to look as natural as possible
It looks just as good as the real thing!
The Animal Avengers assemble includes four vets, one dental surgeon and a 3D designer
The real Avengers are nothing compared to this superhero team!
Watch Freddy in action:
Andrius
In cahoots with the secret orde… With nobody. In cahoots with nobody.
World’s Largest Delta 3D Printer Can Print Almost Zero-Cost Houses Out Of Mud
When 3D printing was introduced, it promised to change the world. And thanks to The World’s Advanced Saving Project ( WASP ) that might not have been just some empty words.
Innovator Massimo Moretti has launched the project with the aim to help out the developing countries by creating affordable housing. And by affordable, we mean a house built for less than a 100 Euros (around $110 USD). It was achieved with the world’s largest delta-style 3D printer that stands 12 meters tall (40 feet). It can produce full-size buildings using only mud, clay and plant fibers for reinforcement, keeping the production cost under a 100 Euros mark (the first house it built actually cost less than 50 Euros). The printer can lay down from 60 cm to 1 meter of material every day.
Moretti says: “ When the work starts again, we will raise the wall until 4 meters, then we’ll create the door and build the roof. In the future we will test new materials and continue the research on soil and straw. ”
More info: wasproject (h/t: inhabitat )
Andrius
In cahoots with the secret orde… With nobody. In cahoots with nobody.
