Futurist Foresight

NASAs plans for 3D printed space pizza.

thisistheverge:

NASA is funding a 3D food printer, and it’ll start with pizza

NASA is funding research into 3D-printed food. Mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor received a $125,000 grant from the agency to build a prototype 3D printer with the aim of automating food creation. It’s hoped the system could provide astronauts food during long-distance space travel, but its creator has the loftier aim of solving the increasing food shortages around the world by cutting down on waste. The software for the printer will be open-source, while the hardware is based on the open-source RepRap Mendel 3D printer. 

(via nasdaq)

Interesting 3d printed jewelery, here a brass pendent.

pookasde:

The circle of life: eating and being eaten.

Brass pendant, manufactured via i.materialise 3D printing service

(via seattle-gadgets)

DIY bionics as a step towards fully integrated neural linked systems.

alexob:

DIY bionics - making kids smile again.

See the joy in Liam’s eyes as he is grasping a ball with his right hand for the first time. By the time this cute fellow grows up, he will have a bionic hand that will be connected to his neural-system and be indistinguishable from his biological body; but all Liam cares about for now his being able to play ball. 

Fashion designers are also turning to 3d printing.

futurejournalismproject:

Fashion Designers Experiment With 3D Printing

Fashion designers are using 3D printing to create garments, shoes, and accessories for their clothing lines. 

3D printers follow instructions of computer generated blueprints to create one layer of material at a time until a piece of clothing is fully formed. According to Weburbanist, soles and fasteners aren’t necessary in 3D printed garments because of the architectural specificity of the blue prints; the apparel is designed to fit an individual’s exact measurements.

The materials for 3D printed clothing and accessories are lightweight, flexible, and easy to produce, and Continnuum Fashion, a fashion start-up company, has already recognized the benefits of 3D printing their garments. Continnuum offers customers the option to design their own clothes to be printed in-house. The clothes are printed when the order is placed, so time and materials aren’t wasted.

Via Huffington Post:

In the past, when designers go to the trouble of manufacturing a dress, they have to be confident of selling hundreds to make the cost of production worthwhile.

But 3-D printing flips that idea on its head. The technology cuts a designer’s manufacturing costs to zero until a customer has ordered a garment. As a result, designers can now afford to experiment in small batches and sell apparel in limited editions.

FJP: Careful hand-stitching can now be replaced by code. And with Staples now offering mini-3D printers for your own home, does this mean that we’ll be ordering and printing clothes right in our offices? Ehhh. Probably not for awhile. 

Via Readwrite:

$1,300 for a hobbyist’s toy isn’t cheap. And that’s not counting the $50 per plastic cartridge holding 320 grams of material (0.7 pounds). Printing is expensive, whether it’s 2D or 3D.

Also, it can take HOURS to print a garment. And according to Mashable,  the larger 3D printers necessary to print a full size pair of pants can cost upwards of $14,000. (And I thought ink cartridges for 2D printers were overpriced.) — Krissy

Image: Weburbanist

A 3d printed gun - let great debate begin!

futuramb:

This Is The World’s First Entirely 3D-Printed Gun (Photos) - Forbes

All sixteen pieces of the Liberator prototype were printed in ABS plastic with a Dimension SST printer from 3D printing company Stratasys, with the exception of a single nail that’s used as a firing pin. The gun is designed to fire standard handgun rounds, using interchangeable barrels for different calibers of ammunition.

[…]

Of course, Defcad’s users may not adhere to so many rules. Once the file is online, anyone will be able to download and print the gun in the privacy of their garage, legally or not, with no serial number, background check, or other regulatory hurdles. “You can print a lethal device,” Wilson told me last summer. “It’s kind of scary, but that’s what we’re aiming to show.

(via futurescope)

3D Bioprinting creates a functional ear.

joshbyard:

3D Printing Cyborg Tech: ‘Bio’ Ear Melds Electronics and Biology to Hear Radio Waves

Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can “hear” radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability.

The researchers’ primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.

(via futurescope)

From what I have seen, the most cost effective 3D printer out there. Does any one know of one priced lower than this? If so, please let us know.

personalfactory:

Printrbot Simple - New very small (and cheap) 3D Printer

Specs:

• 0.1mm resolution (and beyond)
• 100mm cube of printing volume  (~3.5″ cube)
• Printrboard electronics
• PLA only (no heat bed)
• Ubis 1.75mm Hotend
• 60lb. test fishing line act as X & Y belt
• 12v 6A laptop style power supply
• Outer dimensions: 7″ x 8″ x 9″
• 5lb. 2oz. total weight
• 1/2 lb 1.75mm PLA filament

~ printrbot.com