The Housewarming Party Heard ‘Round the World

We’ve been making huge advances recently (‘we’ being humans) in printing structures. From bridges to bus shelters, these experiments have been pretty literally laying the foundation of all the 3D printed structures to come. Then, this month, SXSW happened. And during the always-hyped 10-day festival of innovation, music, film, and whatever else the organizers decide, New Story and ICON’s 3D printed house stole the show. Developed to eventually cost $4,000 and take no more than 12-24 hours to print, it’s destined for use in developing areas that need sturdy housing. The quick-drying cement used by Icon’s specially-produced Vulcan printer is stronger than traditional concrete. Plus, the house’s desert-chic aesthetic is so hot right now.

Take the full tour below:

Italian architect Massimiliano Locatelli has been teasing a similar 3D printed showplace to be unveiled during next month’s Milan Salone del Mobile — this time with fancier fixtures. Follow his Instagram for updates and, we hope, unbearably chic instas from the show.

BUILD A BIG IDEA

It’s actually rocket science

Why 3D print a rocket? “Rockets are the lightest-weight, most expensive, largest, difficult-to-make thing, that really 3-D printing is the optimal solution for.” That’s coming from Relativity co-founder Tim Ellis, whose company is using the largest metal 3D printer in the world to construct rocket elements (today) and fully 3D printed spacecraft (tomorrow). The printer is (super-nerdily, super-awesomely) named Stargate. Learn more at Futurism, and watch PBS’s interview with Tim Ellis (and other 3D printing wizards) below.

Put these contacts in with your robot hand

Researchers at Northwestern University worked their butts off to solve the trickiest of challenges: creating smooth, layer-less lenses with our favorite layer-by-layer manufacturing technique. After more than 100 tries, the resulting lenses are low-cost, high-quality, and fast-printing. Said Cheng Sun, whose lab developed the process, “Up until now, we relied heavily on the time-consuming and costly process of polishing lenses. With 3D printing, now you have the freedom to design and customize a lens quickly.” This means custom contact lenses, microscopes on iPhones, better imaging during things like endoscopic surgeries — but probably not better selfies.

But what about this robot hand? It’s actually the first fully 3D printed bionic arm, and thanks to Open Bionics, it will be available in April for purchase. The Hero Arm can be endlessly customized in terms of its appearance and fit, and it’s much, much cheaper than the next-least-expensive bionic arm on the market. The name derives from the fact that the company has custom-made a few prototypes that are based on superhero characters. But, an inexpensive bionic arm is also kind of a hero in and of itself. See it in action (hero mode) below.

Even better than the ugly sneaker trend

The 3D printed shoe proto-trend became even more fun this month when Reebok got into the game with its Liquid Floatride sneaker drop. Adidas, New Balance, and Under Armour have already brought some offerings to market, and now that Reebok’s Liquid Factory (where a proprietary material is responsible for the kicks’ 3D printed elements) is up and running, our 3D print-shod future is looking so, so cool.

3D Print Your Robotics Needs

Learn how you can utilize 3D printing for robotics use. Contact us today to let us know how we can help.

ROBOTICS PRINTING SOLUTIONS

The post The Month in 3D Printing: South by Southwest Builds the Dream appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

They did it for Princess Leia

Scientists at Brigham Young University tugged at our heartstrings this week, releasing the results of the Princess Leia Project. “Our group has a mission to take the 3D displays of science fiction and make them real. We have created a display that can do that,” project lead and holography expert Daniel Smalley explained. They did it using techniques cribbed from 3D printing, as ZDNet reported. Their inspiration was, of course, Princess Leia’s poignant holographic cry for help that pulled us all into the Star Wars universe. I’m not crying. You’re crying.

In less nostalgic but incredibly impactful future tech news, we’ve known for a little while that new ways of 3D printing powders could lead to printable pharmaceuticals, but now, there’s a plan. As Motherboard reported, a team of researchers at the University of Glasgow have put together a system that, for $2000, will be able to 3D print machines that produce specific drugs. Take that, big pharma.

Into the stratosphere

3D printing applications soared this week, with the successful test-firing of the European Ariane 6 spacecraft’s partially 3D printed Vulcan 2.1 engine, sexy Italian supercar maker Bugatti’s new 3D printed titanium brake caliper, and genius, groundbreaking designer Iris van Herpen’s cutting-edge couture that takes 3D printed fashion to newly beautiful and transcendent places. Once again, our favorite manufacturing technique is fueling out-of-this-world creativity — just like we always knew it could.

Modder, madder, better

Once again this week, 3D printing is saving a gaming product from its own design limitations, as maker and game artist Clinton Strawn released a thumbstick mod for the HTC Vive controller that you can print right here. Thank God for mods.

In other, more whimsical news, a VERY determined trio of UT Austin students spent a year developing a totally novel 3D printed 6-string violin in order to fulfill the singular dream of violinist Sean Riley to play John Adams’ Dharma at Big Sur. Like so much incredible art, this one started with a big, slightly crazy “Why not?” We’re all for it.

And, our favorite dreamy science speculation blog, Futurism, examined what 3D printing will look like in 100 years. While some imagined that we’d see the world 3D printing everything at home as of 2018, Futurism looks at a more realistic, though no less fantastical vision of the future. Today’s daydreams, tomorrow’s reality.

The post The Week in 3D Printing: The Princess Leia Project, Amazing Applications, and Magical Mods appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Made In Space produces the first 3D printer made exclusively for use in, you guessed it, space. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) use the Made In Space’s Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) for all manner of things. As 3DPrint.com reports, they printed espresso cups for use in microgravity (or zero-G). The AMF has also been used to 3D print a ratchet for use aboard the ISS, and even fiber optics. Made In Space Fiber Optics (MIS Fiber) is especially interesting. While Earth’s gravity causes traditional fiber optics to develop tiny flaws called ‘crystals,’ MIS Fiber, which is produced in space, doesn’t contain these imperfections. This allows for superior data transmission — and the space-made fiber is sent to Earth for terrestrial applications. According to Space.com, the Made In Space printer has also been used to test 3D printing food on the ISS.

This R2 unit, seen at Maker Faire NY, is embellished with 3D printed parts

Building space settlements will not only require additive manufacturing, it will require novel new materials. According to Scientific American, Adam Jakus and his colleagues in Ramille Shah’s lab at Northwestern University are developing a system that utilizes simulated Mars and Moon dust (regolith) inks. The system uses the inks to print rubber-like objects, including LEGO-shaped blocks, which then can be hardened through sintering. The inks were created using a solvent mixture containing an evaporant, surfactant, and plasticiser with regolith simulant powders and the biopolymer polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA), which acts as an elastomeric binder. The PLGA is made of lactic acid and glycolic acid monomers, which can be found in urine and other biological waste. Recycling will be key to the successful colonization of space.

3D printing is not only being used on the ISS or to build space settlements on Mars. It’s also helping astronauts get there. The Independent reports that RocketLab built the 3D printed Electron rocket. The rocket was printed in 24 hrs. It offers increased performance and efficiency over traditionally built rockets. The rocket launched on May 25th from a private site in New Zealand.

Ultimately, most of those who will colonize other planets are currently in pre-school, so it’s also important to sow the seeds of space wanderlust early. And science fiction has long played a pivotal role in fostering the imaginations of budding scientists. At Maker Faire NY, I (and every kid in sight) spotted one of the iconic characters of the sci-fi classic film Star Wars, R2D2. The R2 Builders Club gave a talk on building replicas of the famous little droid and had some R2D2 and other astromech droids on display at their booth. Much of the bodies of the replicas are made of aluminum, plywood, fiberglass, or other traditional materials and processes. Still, many of the builds were embellished with 3D printed details. If you or your little ones want to start off with a simpler and smaller build, try U.S. Water Robot’s tutorial for a 1/4 scale 3D printed astromech droid.

Open Space Agency’s Ultrascope project

Citizen scientists of all ages can get a jumpstart on exploring the universe by building their own telescope. The Open Space Agency developed an open source Automated Robotic Observatory (ARO) called Ultrascope. The robotic telescope can be controlled with a smartphone and utilizes 3D printed and laser cut parts. Ultrascope plan files and instructions are available on Wevolver.com, an online collection of open source maker projects.

3D printing is making access to space more economical and accessible. 3D Printing Industry reports that the European Space Agency (ESA) is testing out 3D printing the bodies of CubeSats out of PEEK. The 3D printed CubeSats incorporates conductive lines, eliminating the the wire harness typically used to connect CubeSat subsystems. This saves space and weight, and the 3D printed CubeSats can be used by researchers, students or citizen scientists who want to put an experiment into LEO (low Earth orbit).

However we manage to explore strange new worlds, 3D printing will be a key part of how we’ll boldly go where no one has gone before. And in the meantime, it will help open the skies to the amateur explorers, sci-fi dreamers, and ingenious tinkerers who might just come up with the solutions that will get us there.

The post The Final Frontier: How Space Is 3D Printing’s Greatest Proving Ground appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

But, what about the moon?

Thanks to NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, we’ve been hearing a lot about building habitats on Mars. But what about Earth’s moon, our first love, in terms of extraplanetary travel? The last time it got some attention was 2013, when Yutu, a Chinese rover, took a spin on its dusty face. Well, the Google Lunar XPRIZE is reviving the moonshot, awarding prizes from five to $30 million for successful unmanned lunar rover landings. One team in the competition, SpaceIL, is planning to use 3D printing to build their lunar lander’s legs, as reported by Industry Week. The lofty goals of the competition include habitats on the moon’s surface, so keep an eye out for future 3D printed lunar applications — far sooner than on that red planet that gets all the attention.

Learn the (pretty darn inspiring) story of SpaceIL here:

Implanting the future

An Australian team has successfully implanted its second 3D printed sternum. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Melbourne-based medical implant company Anatomics created the implant out of titanium and Anatomics’ PoreStar porous polyethylene material. The patient, Penelope Heller, is the first American to receive such an implant, and this is the first surgery of its kind on U.S. soil. The possibilities of medical 3D printing are becoming more obvious every day, but this is one of the first concrete realizations of that incredible potential. After covering Form Prosthetics this week, I’m beginning to think that the Aussies are in the lead when it comes to turning us all bionic. But I’m not whinging about it.

Do do that Voodoo that you do so well

PLA-only 3D printing shop Voodoo is jumping into the fourth industrial revolution with both feet, incorporating advanced robotics into its 3D printing factory. As ZDNet reported, Voodoo is making use of cobots, or collaborative robots, which are both easier to program and safer when it comes to working around people. The bots harvest prints from build plates, 24 hours a day. That means more printers in use, more money for Voodoo, and faster turnaround times. Win-win-win.

See the cobot in action here:

So proud!

As anyone familiar with Shapeways knows, we’re a Dutch company that just happens to have its HQ in NYC. So, we felt a twinge of pride this week when the first (successfully completed) 3D printed bridge debuted in the Netherlands. Led by a team from the Eindhoven University of Technology and BAM Infra, the bridge is the first 3D printed concrete structure to be put into use. But we know it won’t be the last.

See how the BAM printer works here (audio is in Dutch):

YOU WERE SO CLOSE

Bill Masters filed a patent for 3D printing technology in 1984, before Chuck Hull, the “father of 3D printing” launched his first machine. And the idea had struck him eight years earlier. So, why isn’t Bill credited rightly as our forefather? Limitations in computing power had a lot to do with it, as this Ozy feature makes clear — but also, Masters had other things to worry about. Namely, running the most successful whitewater boating business of the 1980s, Perception Kayaks. Now, we think Masters deserves his due. We’re revising the family tree, Bill.

Bill Masters in a Perception Kayak (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The post THE RETURN of The Week in 3D Printing appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Print a New Rulebook

We talk a lot about medical advances enabled by 3D printing, but it’s rare to step back and really take in how transformational it all is. Scientists at the University of Melbourne released a study this week outlining how disruptive 3D printing technology will be to the medical profession, changing everything from how we replace organs and how we rehearse surgeries to the number of pills we’ll have to take and where we’ll get medical care. Read more at Futurity.org, and, in the meantime, contemplate this gorgeous 3D printed tumorous kidney:

So pretty (Credit: Austin Health 3D Medical Printing Laboratory via U. Melbourne)

Crushing It

We’ve been following NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge like some people follow sports. So, we were super excited that this latest, second phase of the challenge saw two competitors duke it out to create beams, cylinders, and domes for an extraterrestrial building — using 70% indigenous soil. As TechCrunch reported, to complete the circle of creation and destruction, the building elements were then CRUSHED, er, well, “compressed to failure.” If the future means making houses out of mud and then crushing them, it’s basically going to be a day at the beach.

First place winners Foster + Partners looking at their crushed achievement (Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Steampunk Scientist Solves Prehistoric Mystery

That header was fun to write. Even more fun is watching the impeccably steampunk gentleman in question explain his PhD research into just how a scary/cute ancient sea creature, the Pleiosaur, moved through the water with its very odd flippers. While he may look capable of time travel, it turns out that he wasn’t actually able to go back in time to see how the feat was accomplished. Can you guess what he did? That’s right — he 3D printed it! Watch the video below, delightfully narrated by said gentleman, for the full story on the results of his research and how they might make boats more efficient. Or time machines.

But… Is It Safe?

When you’re working with fused-deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers, you’re doing something pretty unusual for an average person: essentially, melting plastic all day. Researchers recently discovered that this releases volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, and nanoparticles that could, if ingested in high enough quantities, have negative effects on humans. As CE Mag reported, this led one group of researchers to ask, “How do we keep this from hurting anyone?” They discovered that a combination of enclosures around the printers, using low temperatures, and using low-emitting materials like polylactic acid (PLA) eliminates up to 99.5% of emissions. Phew.

The post The Week in 3D Printing: A Medical Revolution, Crushing a 3D Printed Building, a Prehistoric Revival, and Print Safety Check appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

One Person’s Waste… Is Another Person’s Plastic

Astronauts will need a lot of plastic to make sure their 3D printers have the filament to fill gaps in their supplies during long missions. The thing about going to space (or to another planet) is that you have to bring everything with you, whether you’re making vitamins or plastic tools. Enter the almighty power of urine. Yes, as it turns out, blending urine with yeast can produce plastic (and the omega 3 fatty acids we need to stay healthy). For more on how this works, read the full rundown at Futurism, and check out the video below. At some point, we’re going to have to stop calling it waste.

Nerves of Ceramic

While most of us might not think of porcelain as a particularly strong material, researchers at HRL Laboratories beg to differ. As ever-alert Futurism reported, the company has won an award from NASA that will fund their work in 3D printed ceramic rocket engine parts. The work they’ll do for NASA builds on their research into converting preceramic resins into heat-resistant ceramic materials. HRL’s Dr. Tobias A. Schaedler explained, “3D printing could completely change what ceramic parts look like and where they are applied in rocket engines.” Check out how HRL 3D prints ceramic in the video below. And imagine what this could do for your chipped dinnerware.

Mama, Is That You?

Every great technology has its beginnings. For 3D printing, the genesis came when Charles Hull’s SLA-1 hit the market in 1987. Hull had patented the Stereolithography (SLA) process, which builds layers onto 3D prints with a UV laser that solidifies layers of liquid photosensitive material. Now, the SLA-1 has received Historical Landmark designation. Read more at MachineDesign.com, and take a minute to admire the nifty plaque below that commemorates the milestone. At 30, 3D printing’s best days are still ahead.

All Up in Arms

Two feel-good stories came out of the world of assistive devices in the past week. The first, reported by ZDNet, brings us the feats of two students at the University of Antwerp, who have developed robotic arms that can translate sign language. ASLAN, or “Antwerp’s Sign Language Actuating Node” is made up of an Arduino Due, 25 3D printed parts, 16 servo motors, and three motor controllers. The pair have made the plans available for free, making this truly a labor of love. For that, they deserve (at least) a hand.

And finally, Mashable brought us the heartwarming tale of a 3D printed robotic arm that brings together a number of state-of-the-art prosthetics technologies in an affordable package. The work of 21-year-old Easton LaChappelle and Microsoft, the 3D printed arm was developed for a girl named Momo, and is already helping her live her best life. Watch the whole story at Mashable, and bask in the glow of some honest-to-goodness hope — all courtesy 3D printing.

The post The Week in 3D Printing: Waste in Space, the Mother of All 3D Printers, and a Win-Win Arms Race appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

In case you had somehow missed the reports that have been flooding the news and social media all over the United States, the solar eclipse that’s happening this Monday, August 21st, will be observable within a band across 2,400 miles of the U.S. The 12 million people who live in the path of totality, and the millions of visitors expected to flood these areas, will have the chance to see a rare total solar eclipse, while everyone else in the country, and other countries, will see a partial eclipse.

People are obviously excited, as it’s been a pretty long time since we last had the chance to see one in America. The last total solar eclipse in the US was in 1979, and the upcoming eclipse will be the first in nearly 100 years to stretch all the way from the West Coast to the East Coast. However, there are also concerns sweeping the nation about eclipse safety, and possible vision loss if you purchase a fake pair of eclipse glasses.

“The danger is real for permanent vision loss,” Dr. Russell N. Van Gelder, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told NBC Today.

“The worry in the eclipse is that people are so interested to see one of the great astronomic spectacles that they will suppress their inner drive to look away from the very bright light.”

[Image: NASA]

However, you can still have fun and celebrate the eclipse while making sure to keep your eyes safe from harm. NASA published a list of fun eclipse activities, including 3D printable pinhole projectors.

“Why not celebrate the eclipse by making your own 2D/3D Printed Pinhole Projector in the shape of the USA and/or a US State?”

You can download the STL files here for pinhole projectors in the shape of each American state, or you can print one out in the shape of the entire country if you want to go bigger; you can also download the PDF files to print a 2D state out of paper if you don’t have access to a 3D printer but want to join in on the fun.

You can capture a really unique memory by asking someone to take a picture of your shadow during the eclipse this Monday while you’re holding your 3D printed pinhole projector. The unique image will show your shadow, the shadow of your chosen state, and “a projected image of the partial eclipse marking your location!”

NASA also suggests drilling an additional pinhole in your 3D printed projector that marks your exact location, which will obviously be much simpler if you print out a single state as opposed to the entire US. You can experiment with different sizes of pinholes, and paint or decorate your projector with your state colors and symbols. Additionally, if you’re feeling especially creative, you can secure your pinhole projector and make your own time lapse movie.

NASA is reminding people to share images of their 3D printed pinhole projectors on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Flickr accounts. When you post a picture, use #EclipseSelfie and write a one or two sentence description of your image.

If you’re looking for a less patriotic route, Thingiverse user tleathrum posted his own two-piece Pinhole Solar Eclipse Viewer.

This piece does requires supports, as the “overhang of the glue tabs won’t print correctly” without them. There is also a bit of assembly required post-print, including gluing the pieces together and drilling the hole in the middle.

While these 3D printable eclipse pinhole projectors are creative and fun, remember to never look directly at the sun through them, or through telescopes or binoculars either. Check out NASA’s Eclipse Viewing Safety and Related Projection Methods to be sure your eyes will stay safe during the eclipse.

Total Eclipse Pendant by geekhaus

If you want to be 100% sure of not damaging your eyes but still want to celebrate this amazing phenomenon, you could always just watch the eclipse on TV and 3D print a cool piece of eclipse jewelry, like this Glowing Solar Eclipse Pendant by VickyTGAW that shows the different phases of the sun (use glow-in-the-dark filament for a really cool look) or the Total Eclipse pendant by mathgrrl. Discuss in the Solar Eclipse forum at 3DPB.com.

Reprinted with permission from 3Dprint.com.

The post 3D Printing to Celebrate the Total Solar Eclipse appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

This is getting mental

USA Today brought us the story of Dr. Gaurav Gupta, who recently became the first to implant a 3D printed partial skull. Partnering with medical device company DeputSynthese CMS, Dr. Gupta developed a custom cranial implant made of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a plastic that isn’t rejected by the body, is impact- and fracture-resistant, and won’t dissolve — so most of the dangers of implants are averted. Don’t go around without a helmet just yet, though. This is a promising, but emerging use of 3D printing. Still, it might just save your head one day.

Backbone is not underrated

A tumor that wraps itself around the spine, endangering nerves, movement, and overall survival was once a nearly insurmountable challenge. Thanks to 3D printing, we now have solutions — like the six consecutive cervical vertebrae printed in China for a patient with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. The part of the spine that supports the neck, the cervical vertebrae are the most delicate bones in the body, so this first-of-its-kind titanium alloy 3D print is promising for a variety of other applications. Yet another reason to keep your chin up.

The new cervical vertabrae in situ. (via People’s Daily Online)

Human-free human drug trials

We talk a lot about printing organs, a breakthrough that could save an untold number of lives. But, there are steps we have to take before that can become a reality. One of the key steps is printing any kind of vascularized tissue — tissue that contains functional blood vessels. As Singularity Hub reported, a multinational team of researchers has taken a concrete step toward doing just that. Key to the breakthrough is a process for creating endothelial layers, or blood vessel walls. The team first printed liver tissue with 3D printed blood vessels. Then the vessels, printed in “sacrificial” ink, were dissolved. Finally, they added the endothelial stem cells to the tissue to create true blood vessels with selectively permeable, but still stable walls. All of this allows us to approximate how drugs, toxins, and other substances enter the liver. Hopefully, this will lead to a day when drug labels include “No animals were harmed during the making of this medication.”

Someone is happy we’re figuring out this whole “printing organs so we don’t have to experiment on animals anymore” thing. (“Chimpanzee” image by Flickr user Steve Snodgrass, CC BY 2.0)

Printers that are ready for their spacewalk

Made In Space, the company with two 3D printers already running on the International Space Station, calls its Archinaut project a “technology platform that enables autonomous manufacture and assembly of spacecraft systems on orbit.” That translates to 3D printers that can operate outside the walls of the ISS, assembling parts in the vacuum of space. The first proof-of-concept for Archinaut, technically called the Extended Structure Additive Manufacturing Machine (ESAMM), came recently when the ESAMM was able to print an almost meter-long part in a thermal vacuum chamber. As Engineering.com reported, this is the first step toward the goal of printing and assembling large-scale objects like satellites and space station modules without having to return to Earth. Let’s hope there’s always an Earth to 3D print things on, but in case that doesn’t work out, it’s good to have a backup.

Those in plastic houses… should really think about incorporating concrete

In the quest to figure out how to build off-planet housing, NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge has been fostering the creativity of citizen inventors. The Habitat Challenge includes different stages of competition based on key constructed elements. The rules dictate that a combination of plastic and simulated Martian soil should be used to create these structural elements. As Plasticsnews.com reported, the latest competition involved 3D printing a structural beam, and a team comprised of Branch Technology, architecture firm Foster + Partners, and material developer Techmer took the top prize (they also won the previous level). What’s more, “Recyclable plastics were used in the top three scoring teams, indicating that a thermoplastic concrete material may be viable for 3D printing habitats on Mars,” as NASA’s Rob Meuller explained. Looks like we might just make it to the next environment we’ll live in without doing anything toooooo terrible to our own.

Could this be where we’ll retire? (NASA Challenge Image via Foster + Partners)

The post The Week in 3D Printing: Extending Life on Earth… and Beyond! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Delicious, delicious 3D printing

It’s rare to find a story that combines the joy of 3D printing with the joy of cooking, but, probably because it’s Friday, we’ve somehow found just that. As CNET reported, pastry chef Dinara Kasko creates 3D printed silicone molds that enable you to create geometric “bubble cakes” like the one shown below. It would be hard to slice up this gorgeous work of art, but I’m pretty sure the taste would make it all worthwhile.

Beam me up, NASA

So, we’ve sort of figured out how to print moon bricks and turn Mars dust into tools, but you can’t have buildings without supports. Enter NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, a design contest that seeks to solve the problem of housing on The Red Planet. As Space.com reported, the challenge’s second stage asked participants to build a beam that would withstand bend testing. The results might not be pretty, but they are powerful. Plus, they give a whole new meaning to the phrase “Beam me up.”

Phone, heal thyself

For some reason, a few years ago, we all started carrying around fragile panes of glass in our pockets, which we drop, constantly. It’s obvious that they would shatter on the regular. Also a few years ago, 3D printing started solving weird problems we’d created for ourselves, just like this one. As TheNextWeb reported, scientists at the University of Melbourne who have created a self-healing gel that could be used to repair phone screens in the future. That future cannot come soon enough.

-Sent from a cracked iPhone screen

Courtesy University of Melbourne

All of the awwwwz

A Maine coon kitteh who can’t use his little back legs? Clearly, worth adopting. Especially if, like New Hampshire teacher Carrie Barron, you have a class of eighth-graders to help build a wheelchair for the little guy walk. With the help of the local library’s 3D printer, they rose to the challenge, and the results were, naturally, adorable. Watch the full video at abcnews.com, and check out an outtake from the R&D portion of the wheelchair project below:

Courtesy Carrie Barron/Abcnews.com

The post The Week in 3D Printing: Piece of Cake appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

To the Moon!

It’s finally happened: a (mostly) 3D printed rocket engine has blasted into space! Taking off from New Zealand, the Electron rocket engine was printed in 24 hours and is more efficient and higher-performing than other existing rocket systems. 3D printed components are ideal for space travel because they can be designed to provide incredible strength with little actual material use — making them lighter, and therefore more flight-ready. There are still a lot of challenges to overcome before 3D printing itself will work robustly off-planet. And that’s why we decided to set up shop on Earth. FOR NOW.

Down to Earth, But Still Out of This World

Michelin has unveiled a 3D printed tire-and-wheel concept that might just blow your mind (just watch the video). Not only is it made from recycled materials, it’s also printed as a single part, and is puncture-proof. I’m not sure we’ll quite reach the printing speeds required for a roadside wheel print anytime soon, but hey, throw those alternate snow tires in the trunk and you’re good to go. Good job, Michelin — you’ve literally reinvented the wheel.

Helping Amputee Kids Reach for the Stars

What’s the cutest, sweetest, most touching thing you can imagine? How about this little girl, holding a ball with her new 3D printed prosthesis? Bristol, England-based Bristol Bionics is working to give amputee kids low-cost hands, all (yep, it gets cute again) based on Disney characters! The aim is to give kids something they’ll want to show off, rather than something they’ll want to hide. I mean, with little Tilly and her Deus Ex-themed hand, I feel like she’ll be the most popular kid in school. She would definitely be the most popular kid in our office.

Courtesy Open Bionics

We’ll Always Have Pittsburgh…

“They” are calling Steel City the next Silicon Valley of 3D printing, and folks from The ‘Burgh are like, “We’re proud to be the Pittsburgh of 3D printing, thanks.” But seriously, with companies like GE at the forefront and brainpower flowing in from Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and Robert Morris University, Steel City has all of the potential to become, once again, an American manufacturing hub — but with the environmental sustainability of additive manufacturing at its core. Sounds like this slice of America could be even greater this time around….

Right on Track

Forbes’ Alex Knapp brought us the story of racing’s acclaimed Team Penske, who have signed a deal with Stratasys to 3D print prototype parts, car components, and tools to maximize performance on the racing track. With the speed at which these cars travel, it’s no surprise that Team Penske is tapping into digital manufacturing to maximize production efficiency. Plus, you can innovate and iterate at breakneck speed, leading to lighter, more efficient parts. See a trend?

Careful, This Axe Shreds

A Swedish designer and professor has created the world’s first 3D printed aluminum electric guitar. While not everyone’s a fan, this is a musical feat we can get excited about. Especially because the designer has a band that plays with 3D printed instruments. Maybe they can play our company party?

The post The Week in 3D Printing: Good News? Yes Please! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.