Patient Receives 3D printed Implanted Rib

 

Patient went to the doctor for tonsillitis, and a chest X-ray revealed a growth on his fifth rib caused by a congenital defect. This type of growth could worsen and cause pulmonary problems later in life, so his doctors decided the rib should be removed. The surgery replaced the tumorous rib with a 3D printed rib took at Tokuda Hospital in Bulgaria, a first for the country. The rib needed to have exactly the same dimensions as the original rib, so 3D printing was chosen due to its ability to accurately reproduce organic shapes. Replacing the missing rib with a 3D printed segment with the same shape, curve, width, and thickness was possible with the use of a 3DGence 3D printer.

Doctors Create New Cartilage For Worn-Out Joints With 3-D Printing Technology

Penn State professor Ibrahim Ozbolat and his team has engineered a solution to  worn out knees. They’re producing cartilage patches to repair defects. Since there are no blood vessels in cartilage tissue, so the researchers said it’s a good type of tissue for bio-printing. In the future, Ozbolat says, stem cells would be removed from a patient and cultured in a lab. The cartilage is printed and then transplanted back into a patient. This will allow scientists to print new and compatible human parts someday.

Ford Motors Looking @ 3D For Its Motor Parts

3D printing giant Stratasys’ Infinite Build 3D printer,  is housed at Ford Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan. This humongus machine is expected to provide Ford with a more efficient, as well as affordable way to create tooling, prototype parts and components for their products. These will initially be produced for low volume vehicles.

Ford is the first automaker to make use of this technology in their manufacturing process,  producing lighter and cheaper components for its vehicles. The automaker believes that reduction in weight of the vehicle will help it achieve greater fuel efficiency.

The Stratasys Infinite Build, the automaker adds, is seen as a breakthrough for vehicle manufacturing, capable of printing parts of practically any shape, size as well as length. This 3D printing machine is a beast and provides for rapid prototyping of components and parts for building its upcoming vehicles. This also gives the automaker control over their designs, which can be modified and instantly printed to meet their needs.

The process is similar to the usual 3D printing procedure, but everything here is automated. Once the supply or raw material for the printer runs out, the robotic arm itself replaces it with a new full one. This makes the printer capable of operating unattended for days, but do see that you have provided enough supplies.

$333.00 for Adidas 3D Printed Sneakers

 The 3D Runner, features a similar design as the one Adidas gifted its medal-winning athletes during the 2016 Rio Olympics. It has a black Primeknit upper, like what what you see on Yeezys or Ultra Boosts, and a midsole made from 3D-printed materials — that’s the main highlight here. Unfortunately, you’ll only have the chance to buy a pair if you live in New York City, London or Tokyo, with pricing set at $333 this Thursday. It has been said it’ll end up on the resell market for hundreds of dollars above its original MSRP.

 

The 3D Printed House

The 3D Print Canal House is a three-year publically accessible ‘Research & Design by Doing’ project in which an international team of partners from various sectors works together on 3D printing a full-size canal house in Amsterdam.
The building site is designed as a growing exhibition and open to the public. The feedback from audiences generates input for research and market explorations:

The 3D Print Canal House consists of 13 different rooms that each consist of various elements. Each room showcases a research update in shape, structure and material. The house is printed with the KamerMaker – a gigantic FDM printer that can print elements of 2 x 2 x 3,5 meters, developed by DUS. The building site is located in Amsterdam North.

 

Tiny 3D Cameras For The Human Body

Tiny cameras have now been developed using 3D printing technology that is small enough to be injected into the human body with just a standard syringe. The microscopic cameras are the size of a grain of salt,and can transform the world of healthcare life size as we know it. The  three lens camera was produced by a team at the University of Stuttgart.

The cameras are so small that they can be printed onto the end of an optic fiber and then inserted into the human body, including the brain, to be used as a camera.  This will allow doctors to have a much better view of the internal organs and is less invasive than a regular endoscope.  The printing technique was developed by using lasers with very short pulses that were focused through a microscope onto a liquid polymer.Then, when the 3D printing occurs, the lasers harden the polymer as the lens is produced. The cameras could also be as surveillance devices.

Body Parts From A 3D Printer?

 

Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), and colleagues explain that current 3D printers are unable to produce human tissues and organs that are strong enough to be transplanted in the body or that can survive following transplantation. However, the team believes that their ITOP technology, however, could help overcome such problems.

The 3D prints also consist of micro-channels, which act as a sponge to soak to up the body’s nutrients and oxygen after transplantation. This helps the structures survive as they develop a blood vessel system, which they need in order to function in the human body.

This image shows the ITOP system printing a jaw bone fragment.
Image credit: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

In their study, Dr. Atala and colleagues used the ITOP system to build baby-sized human ear structures – around 1.5 in – and implanted them beneath the skin of mice.

Their results indicated that the bio-ink combination we used, combined with the micro-channels, provides the right environment to keep the cells alive and to support cell and tissue growth

 

The 3D Printed Car

Divergent Microfactories, a technology startup located in San Francisco, California, recently unveiled the world’s first 3D supercar called “Blade.”

The state-of-the-art, 3D printed supercar prototype was showcased recently at an event held in San Francisco, California that featured companies that blend the use of hardware, software and data to produce disruptive new technologies.

Divergent Microfactories is a company that is dedicated to applying disruptive new methods in auto manufacturing,using 3D printing to dramatically decrease carbon footprint, lessen emissions that contribute to pollution, and cut costs in production by using fewer materials. Their goal is to put the platform in the hands of small entrepreneurial teams around the world, allowing them to set up their own microfactories and build their own cars and, eventually, other large complex structures. These microfactories will make innovation affordable while reducing the health and environmental impacts of traditional manufacturing.

California lawmaker introduces Legislation For Public Libraries & 3D Printing

Rep. Nora Campos, D-San Jose, introduced AB 37 which if passed would require the Department of Justice to produce warning signs about the misuse of 3D printing and distribute them to every public library that offers the technology.

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3D Fashions

Libraries Are Important Today and Tomorrow

HEREs WHY

 

 

Printed 3D Castle

For the last two years, Andrey Rudenko has been 3D printing a concrete castle in in his yard, layer by layer. Now, his castle is finally finished.

Andrey shared pictures of his process over the past two years to mixed reactions from the 3d printing community. While some may have thought he was headed off the deep end, many were enthralled by his progress and eagerly anticipating each update.

His printer is completely custom built and able to spew out concrete reliably thanks to tons of trial and error. His current settings give him layers that are 10mm tall by 30mm wide. He mixes his own concrete to make sure that it is the exact consistency he needs to avoid clogging his print head.

CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

3D Printed Estate; Coming Soon To New York

The printer

This isn’t a 3D printed club house, not just a 3D printed building, but rather an entire 3D printed estate including all the structures and the swimming pool!

The huge project is being printed by D-shape, a large scale printing facility out of Italy. In conjunction with Kushner studios, D-shape is coming over to America and beginning the construction in Gardiner, New York. Typically used for items like chairs and sculptures, a new modified version of the printer will need to be created to accommodate things like pools and buildings.

The D-shape printer, as you can see in the video above, is a powder based printer that uses crushed stone with a binder. It is very much like the Plan B printer we shared earlier, only scaled up to a massive size. There may be some issues when printing a structure as large as a 2,400 square foot home, but the benefits are fairly evident. They don’t have to worry about a nozzle getting clogged up by inconsistent concrete thicknesses as they are only dispensing a binder, which they can control very tightly.

New York state construction permits were issued for a fully 3d printed structure. There are more pictures, including the plans for the estate over at 3Dprint.com.

They’ve already laid their power lines, hopefully they’ll begin printing soon so we can see some updates!

South Carolina’s Governor Vetos Bill For Public Library Disrupters

 

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Long Gone Are The Days When Public Libraries Were Extremely Quiet

The Internet Of Things: A New & Upcoming Trend

According to industry research firm IDC, the IoT market is expected to hit $7.1 trillion by 2020,” said John Maddison, vice president of marketing at Fortinet.

Completed in June 2014, the survey asked 1,801 tech-savvy homeowners questions relating to the Internet of Things as it pertains to the connected home. These were the top findings:

The Connected Home is a reality – A majority (61 percent) of all respondents believe that the connected home (a home in which household appliances and home electronics are seamlessly connected to the Internet) is “extremely likely” to become a reality in the next five years. China led the world in this category with more than 84 percent affirming support.

• In the U.S., 61 percent said that the connected home is extremely likely to happen in the next five years.

Homeowners are concerned about data breaches – A majority of all respondents voiced their concern that a connected appliance could result in a data breach or exposure of sensitive, personal information. Globally, 69 percent said that they were either “extremely concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about this issue.

• Sixty-eight percent of U.S. respondents said that they were “extremely concerned” or “somewhat concerned.”

Privacy and trust are concerns – When asked about the privacy of collected data, a majority of global respondents stated, “privacy is important to me, and I do not trust how this type of data may be used.” India led the world with this response at 63 percent.

• Fifty-seven percent in the U.S. agreed with this statement.
• Data privacy is an extremely sensitive issue – Respondents were also asked how they would feel if a connected home device was secretly or anonymously collecting information about them and sharing it with others. Most (62 percent) answered “completely violated and extremely angry to the point where I would take action.” The strongest responses came from South Africa, Malaysia and the United States.

The Smart World In 2020

Big Data & Retail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAQX8W3D6Mg

New Questions For Libraries: Should 3D Printers Be Censored ?

 

Presently, there are 3D printers located in a large number of libraries nationwide. As more libraries begin adopting this impressive technology, and the general public begins to realize all the things it can create, new questions will arise and have to be answered by those overseeing its use.  Questions such as age limit, and What is not allowed on these printers ?

David Lee King, digital services manager at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas, noting that it is nearly impossible for an employee of a library to truly know what is being printed out on their machines.

You can’t expect a library employee to be able to determine if a particular piece of plastic printed, is a part for a gun, or just for a toy.  Likewise coming to the library and reading a book, magazine, or internet publication on how to build a bomb out of ordinary over-the-counter chemicals, people can take advantage of just about any new technology.  Some people, like King, feel that it should not be the librarian’s responsibility to see to it that all uses are for peaceful purposes.

Kate Marek, Dean of Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science,  feels that there should be a set of somewhat strict rules and guidelines in place for those wishing to use a publicly owned 3D printer. Marek says, “It’s good to think through some of these things before you open it up to the public. It’s not intrusive if you say, ‘You can’t do anything that’s illegal,’ “It is intrusive to say, ‘What are you going to make?’ and ‘Let me think about whether I’ll let you do it.’”

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Library of The Year

Edmonton Public Library (EPL) of Alberta, Canada has been chosen, the 2014 Library of the Year by Library Journal magazine and Gale, part of Cengage Learning. Each year, this prestigious recognition goes to a public library that most profoundly demonstrates service to community, creativity, leadership and innovation in developing community programs. EPL serves one of Canada’s fastest growing cities through its 17 branches operated by more than 600 employees who last year answered nearly 2.5 million questions and facilitated 5.2 million library visits (with another 4.7 million visits via their website). Every three seconds someone is borrowing from EPL. Their social media popularity – with 20,000 Twitter followers and 9,000 Facebook fans – leads almost all North American urban libraries.

 EPL lacks the stereotypical image of library as a book repository and serves as a center of civic engagement. Community librarians at each branch integrate deeply with local institutions such as school districts, health centers and outreach groups in order to understand needs, eliminate barriers, and inform services and policies. their  makerspace – is a location dedicated to creating with technology such as 3D printers, game development software, a sound and recording studio and more. New branches have been designed or redesigned to focus on open space, collaboration, and sustainability, and a focus on lifelong learning, including online learning, helps ensure the success of individuals as well as the community.

 Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology and services company, that empowers educators and driving learner engagement through personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that bridge from the library to the classroom. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world’s information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet.

Library Journal  was founded in 1876, Library Journal is one of the oldest and most respected publications covering the library field. Over 75,000 library directors, administrators, and staff in public, academic, and special libraries read LJ. Library Journal reviews over 8000 books, audiobooks, videos, databases, and web sites annually, and provides coverage of technology, management, policy, and other professional concerns.

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Raheen Library

 

 

View the redsign here

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France’s Interactive media Library

 

 

The ‘Mont de Marsan Mediatheque‘ an interactive media library located in the south-west of France. The project was recently nominated for the London Design Museum‘s ‘Designs of the Year 2014 Award’ in the category of architecture.

A clean envelope of pure geometric lines, a 197 ft x 197 ft square, the building complies with the classical layout yet contrasts with its austerity by offsetting the system with a corner opening onto the city. Its facades reflect the surrounding barracks with a respectful, deferential mirror.

Has Wearable Technology Gone Tooooooo Far?

 

 

How Are They going To Type & Text?

First spotted by Co.Design, the new nail technology uses sensors embedded in gel polish to track our behavior by the touch. It’s the work of Kristina Ortega and Jenny Rodenhouse of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. They believe wearable, purposeful nails could soon be all over the place as standard salons themselves.

 

 

 

 

 MORE HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Reveals That Half Of U.S. Jobs Can Be Completed By Computers

The study, based upon 702 detailed job listings, revealed that computers could now replace many workers in transportation and logistics, production labor and administrative support. But computers, armed with the ability to find patterns in big data sets, are also increasingly qualified to perform non-routine cognitive tasks.

Historically computerization has been confined to routine tasks involving explicit rule-based activities. Algorithms for big data are now rapidly entering domains reliant upon pattern recognition and can readily substitute for labor in a wide range of non-routine cognitive tasks,” says study authors Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne. Software already provides medical diagnoses and does legal research, as example.

However, the study doesn’t predict, based on economics, whether more jobs will be automated, but rather, whether they could. And it suggests that, jobs most vulnerable to being given to a computer in the near future will be the lowest paying. Authors argue that 47 percent of U.S. employees are in occupations that are at risk as a result of computerization. Authors, Benedikt and Osborne say automation will return to eating the lowest-paying, rather than middle-income, jobs because computers continue to lack social intelligence.

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Austin Texas To Host SXSW Interactive Festival-Assange/Snowden Virtual Live

 

This year, NSA leaker Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks founder and secret spiller Julian Assange will hold a live video conference March 8, 2014 11:00 a.m.  Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Anne Wojcicki, CEO of genetics testing company 23andMe.

Snowden and Assange will be appearing appear on live video since both are living as fugitives, in Moscow and the Ecuadorian embassy in London. 

A Virtual Conversation With Julian Assange video conference -March 8, 2014 11:00 a.m. Texas time

A Virtual Conversation With Edward Snowden  video conference-March 10,2014 11:00 a.m. Texas time

The South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals offers original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery of emerging trends.

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Technology Trends For 2014

 

Major companies are working on data encryption to detour NSA from snooping

Smartphones will be able to connect with our homes

No-Touch interfaces

3D printing

Wearable technology

Cloud services

 

CES 2014

CES 2014

 

 

Tech Trend For 2014

The Internet

Cisco Systems predicts the connectivity of devices to the internet will be growing massively in 2014 and by 2015, reaching about twenty five billion devices and 99% of all “physical objects” will be connected to a network.

 Analytics and “Big Data”

There is now the opportunity to look at huge amounts of data in real time and use the data to understand the supply chain, logistics, customer behavior, patient outcomes and many other things in a way that wasn’t possible in the recent past.

Cloud Boxes versus Gadget Storage

Loads of enterprises are shifting from the traditional devices that store data (drives, servers, disks) to the “omnipresent” Cloud. This allows business, educational institutions and state agencies to be more mobile in doing their work and activities. Tech Gurus are predicting that the Cloud will actually be the most used storage device in 2014 replacing the decades long favorite – the Personal Computer

Apps

More people are bringing their own devices (BYOD) into the workplace and classrooms. Organizations are relying less on server controlled data and more on Apps that perform a specific function for the student or worker. 

 

X-Ray Specs For Nurses

Evena’s Eyes-On Glasses enable nurses (or any other user) to clearly see the veins beneath your skin, and choose the “best” vein  for which a nurse may use to stick you with a needle. Eyes-On is similar to other medical devices made by Evena – but those are big, and need to be carted from room to room. Eyes-On can be worn like a pair of Google Glass, presumably making the process all that much easier.

The tech that gives Eyes-On Glasses their x-ray superpowers comes from Epson ( the same Epson that makes printers). The company’s Moverio smartglasses technology gives the wearer a view of augmented reality thanks to its transparent display that “projects overlays of digital content onto the real-world in the center of the wearer’s field of view … enabling a seamless blend of the physical and digital worlds,” according to Evena.

The Eyes-On Glasses also packs on-board storage for saving images of patients’ vein patters, and “telemedicine” capabilities (probably Wi-Fi) that let nurses easily share the images with doctors straight from the device.

 

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This Is A Library

Dell’s New PC’s Come With A Stinky Odor ?

Dell has admitted that some of its new Latitude laptops have a strange odor.

Hundreds of complaints began popping up in social media and tech forums since early summer, when Dell released its latest Latitude E643ou laptop PC. They were asked  if used kitty litter was used as packing around it.

No Way To Get the Smell Out

Whatever the cause, owners complained they could not get the smell out, even wiping down the laptop repeatedly with Lysol wipes.

Dell initially told customers to leave the laptop open so it would get fresh air, and wipe it down periodically, but that didn’t help.

Dell Admits Issue, Will Fix

Now, Dell finally admits that an issue with the “manufacturing process” caused some of the plastic parts inside to have a smell similar to cat urine, according to the tech website Engadget.

The Guardian, which says owners “have their cat claws out,” claims the problem may be the palm rest.

It says it is not a health hazard, and that no cats were involved in making the devices. The company will now offer a replacement laptop, or at least the plastic parts involved, to customers who absolutely cannot live with the odor,

General Electric Expanding It’s Use Of 3D Printers

GE currently uses 3D printing in a variety of areas from making medical devices and jet engine parts to prototyping components for washing machines. Today G E use of 3D printing is less than 10 % but is expected to rise in the near future.

GE still plans to continue using conventional manufacturing techniques, especially for large components. However, 3D printing, or additive manufacturing  is playing a role, such as providing tools or repair parts. GE’s use of 3D printers in jet engines, for example, could serve as a catalyst for rivals United Technologies (UTX), which owns Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce.

What they’re Working On Now

 

Look Here

I wonder if humans will be able to think for themselves when this springs up

Maker Faire 2013 New York/Bay Area

This year 3D printers were the talk of the town in New York’s Makerfaire. Held over the held only,  at the New York Hall of Science in Corona, Queens. The show highlighted the creations of hobbyists, hackers, and craftspeople in everything from electronics to rocketry to beadwork.  3D printers and related technologies—from established companies and newcomers were the  featured attraction. Intel futurist Brian David Johnson introduced Jimmie, an open-source 3D-printed robot, in a special presentation, and 3D printers occupied a large area within the show.

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RFID Ring

 

MIT graduate Chris Benson, along with co-founders from the Singapore University of Technology and Design created a solution to the problem of digging through your bag for a transport card.

The “Sesame Ring” is a 3D-printed piece of wearable technology embedded with an RFID chip that makes it easy to access MBTA train stations.

 

Image

Birmingham’s Bling Library

Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe

The rise of single-person households  in some European capitals now approaching 50% of households. Many libraries increasingly act as a meeting place or home from home, as they do for migrants, refugees and even tourists. The idea of the library as “the living room in the city” was first promulgated in 1970s Scandinavian library design, as architects responded to users’ wishes to stay longer, have a coffee, and enjoy storytelling sessions, lunchtime concerts or attend book-reading groups.  In some British towns, nearly half the population own a library card, even if it is only used infrequently. Libraries are seen as belonging to the public by right, compared with publicly funded theatres, art galleries, museums or concert halls.

The library’s changing demands is reflected in contemporary design. The library counter has largely gone. Self-service machines free up staff to spend more time with library users, organising storytelling sessions, book-signings and reading circles (there were more than 100,000 members of library reading groups in England and Wales at the last count.

3D Printing & Bank Skimmers

 

A gang of bank ATM skimmers in Australia used new 3D printing technology to make skimming devices that were then used to steal around $100,000. New South Wales police force has said that thousands of customers from two banks were fleeced after at least 15 ATMs were targeted.

The gang, which the police suspects is Romanian, is said to have used “sophisticated” devices using 3D printers and computer-aided design (CAD) systems. Detective superintendent Col Dyson, commander of the New South Wales fraud and cybercrime squad, told iTnews the alleged gang used one particularly “sophisticated” skimming device that was entirely self-contained and accompanied by a tiny video camera. 

Dyson said, “These devices are actually manufactured for specific models of ATMs so they fit better and can’t be detected as easily.”

He told iTnews, “Previous devices have always had wires hanging off them. One of the ones used in this case does have wires hanging off it, that’s because of the design of the ATM. But the smallest one is quite impressive in that it is contained within a resin block and sealed.”

 

New Careers In The Works

 

 UN-SCHOOLING COUNSELOR

The concept of education for four years will be over. The future will be more diverse. People will plug in a year of education here and there, a month now and again, and un-schooling counselors will guide them the whole way. “We’re seeing the evolution of the traditional counselor to someone who can hack your life together so it’s unique,” he says.

 ARMCHAIR EXPLORER

Machines will be connected, producing tons of data about their performance and surroundings. Communications technology that has been expensive in the past (likesatellites) will be widely accessible. This will create opportunities for “armchair explorers” who will travel the world, checking on systems, buildings, and hard-to-reach places. We’ll need people to break through the fog, and give us a clear picture.

 3-D PRINTING HANDYMAN

Today when your handyman fixes something, he usually has to order a part. One day, he might print it right in your yard. Say you need to replace the pipe under your sink. Why wait for the whole thing to come in from out of the country, when it can be done there and then? We already have 3-D printed shower heads, after all.

 MICROBIAL BALANCER

From the gut to your mouth, the microbial world is a big focus of current research. Young sees a job for a “microbial balancer” who can keep you aligned with your bacteria: “They will understand how to read your genome, your gut, and your mouth bacteria and get you better balanced at a house, school, or individual level. They’re the equivalent of the Feng Shui person who sets up your apartment.”

 CORPORATE DISORGANIZER

Big companies want to be more like startups, seeing innovation as vital to future profits. Young says they’ll want “corporate disorganizers” who can introduce a little “organized chaos.” Young says: “The disruptor will be tapping into the new systems of the collaborative economy, creating greater fragmentation and a more distributed ecosystem.”

 DIGITAL DETOX SPECIALIST

The digital “overload” will become even more overwhelming. That will open the way for people who can help lead less data-centric lives, or at least find a better balance. In some cases, they will even organize digital rehabs. It’s going to get that bad (actually, it already is).

 THE URBAN SHEPHERD

With cities getting greener, we’ll need “urban shepherds” to look after the new infrastructure. “You need someone who is going to take care of the urban beehives, who’s going to make sure your composting is set up correctly, and who is going to know how to curate all the vertical gardens

 

“Punk Chemist” Experimenting With 3D Printing ?

 Lee Cronin, a chemist from the University of Glasgow claims to have prototyped a 3D printer capable of assembling chemical compounds on the molecular level.

Wearable Technology Good Or Bad?

The Autographer 

ecouterre

Muse

Keyglove is a wireless open-source input glove 

A new robotic suit 

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Libraries Lending More Than Books

 

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Whats Happening

 Google’s driverless cars have already logged over 300,000 accident-free autonomous miles. Three states (CA, NV, FL) presently permit testing of autonomous vehicles.

The world’s first self-contained bionic eye, the Alpha IMS, connects directly to the brain via electrodes. Though the image quality is nowhere near 20/20, future iterations should be able to restore sight for some types of blindness. Within a few years, we’ll be able to add bionic contact lenses to this list.

Exoskeletons for Restored Mobility

Ekso Bionics, MindWalker and ReWalk  developed wearable exoskeletons designed to help people with lower-limb disabilities walk. Ekso and ReWalk models achieve this with body controls, while MindWalker uses a non-invasive Brain / Neural Computer Interface.  

3D Printing in the Home

Injection-mold 3D printers out for several years, but recent developments are simultaneously decreasing costs and adding the types of printable materials (including metal). Together  with open-source design3D printers allow for the creation of musical instruments, camera lenses, clothes, and a plethora of other cool stuff.

3D Bio-Printing

 Bio-printing is said to potentially save millions of lives. (Every day, 18 people die while waiting for organ transplants). Earlier this year, CA-based company Organovo revealed they had printed “mini-livers,” with transplantable human livers (hopefully) a few years off. 

Mind-Controlled Prosthetics

Newer prosthetics can interface with nerves on the muscular level, but DARPA’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics program has made significant progress toward controlling these devices with a neural interface. These devices will also provide direct biosensory feedback, restoring a small degree of feeling for amputees. 

Programmable Matter

Think of programmable matter as data in a physical space, with the ability to manipulate itself based on a set of instructions. At the basic level, this could mean a material is able to change its conductivity, density, or shape. On a higher level, this allows for self-configuring modular robots. 

Quantum Computers

Quantum computers use qubits (rather than binary bits) to perform data processing operations. It allows calculations thousands of times faster than modern super computers. The technology is in its infancy, stage, but earlier this year, Google and NASA purchased a D-Wave Two, the world’s first commercially available quantum computer. 

 

Harvard’s Library Experiment

A laboratory class in Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, is dedicated to rescuing physical, book-dense libraries from obsolescence, the student come up with designs to  “create a hybrid space where analog and digital coexist.”

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3D Printed Fashions

Although 3D-printed haute couture garments have been working the catwalks, the real breakthroughs in printed clothing will come from more practical and subversive quarters. image is by Petrovsky & Ramone

The biggest development in 3D fashions is in sportswear. Footwear designers, in particular, are sldo excited about 3D printing because it means they can offer something truly unique.

London designer Ron Arad has created a range of 3D-printed spectacles and sunglasses for eyewear brand pq

3D printing allows easy customisation of products  ideal for the fashion industry, where every customer has a unique shape and differing tastes. However there are drawbacks, Fashion designers focus on feeling or touching the material and looking at how it drapes and how it moves with the motion of the body. There  is a limited  availability palette of  materials. “3D printing was designed for engineers. There are also generational issues at work. 3D technology allows greater freedom for young designers, who are able to produce runs of a few units rather than thousands, realising designs that, previously, would only ever have existed on paper.

Sports brand Nike has unveiled the first boots for American football players with 3D-printed studs. e fitted with a laser-sintered footplate and studs. Using 3D-printing technology meant Nike was able to prototype the boot and make alterations in a much shorter timeframe than normal – it allows design updates to be made in days rather than months.

Finally, since the consumer is used to wearing natural materials, and even though we do wear nylon and polyester in our clothes, the type of drape and feel and quality that we’d expect from something that’s been 3D-printed is a long ways off.

3D printed Fashions

U.S. Orders 3D Guns Removed Online

The order to remove the blueprints for 3D guns comes after they were downloaded more than 100,000 times.

The US State Department wrote to the gun’s designer, Defense Distributed, suggesting publishing them online may breach arms-control regulations.

Although the files have been removed from the company’s Defcad site,  wil lthis  prevent people from accessing the blueprints? They were being hosted by the Mega online service and may still reside on its servers.  Links to copies of the blueprints have been uploaded to file-sharing site the Pirate Bay, making them widely available. The Pirate Bay has also publicised its links to the files via social news site Reddit suggesting many more people will get hold of the blueprints

They’re printing 3D Guns and Senator Wants Them Banned

This is an actual gun than fires bullets and was 3D printed. Congressman Steve Israel wants to ban 3D-printed Guns. Steve Israel:  As we get deeper into this national debate on gun safety it seems to me all the executive orders, all the acts of Congress will not be effective if someone can go to a Staples, buy a 3D printer, and manufacture plastic weapons components in their basements.

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3D Printing and Track Sneakers

New Balance’s SLS uses biomechanical data, motion capture, high-speed video, advanced algorithms, specially-created software, and in-shoe sensors along with help from olympic athletes like U.S. Olympian and current 1500m World Champion Jenny Barringer Simpson, 2012 U.S. Olympian Kim Conley, 2012 Great Britain Olympian Barbara Parker and four-time All-American runner Jack Bolas to create the most precise spike plates on the market