An Apple A Day…
August 9, 2017Is made from a 3-D printer??
Don’t worry, you won’t be eating these 3-D printed apples; rather, they are used to monitor the conditions in which your apples travel from farm to store.
These apples are specifically engineered to match the thermal response of real apples, meaning they will cool at a rate that is within 5% of real apples, compared to the 16% of water-filled fruit simulators. They can be placed among the real apples as they travel from cold stores to ripening facilities to stores.
Ultimately, the novel sensor system provides an improved method to identify any quality issues when transporting fruits. Creators hope to better pinpoint the location and reason for unexpected quality loss.
How do you like them apples?
You can read the original article here.
Build Your Next Home with 3-D Printers
July 5, 2017Taking technology out of the lab and into the world, ETH Zurich is working on the world’s first house made with 3-D printers and robots.
The home will be three stories tall and is expected to be completed next year.
Check out this great video from BBC to learn more.
Future of 3D Printed Prosthetics
September 20, 2016With the recent growth and popularity of 3D printing, a viable solution is now available for millions of people around the world in need of prosthetics. In this past year alone, nearly 200,000 amputations occurred in the United States. With the average price of a prosthetic ranging anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000, it is a necessity many individuals cannot afford.
Furthermore, the process of even obtaining a prosthetic limb can take a few weeks to a few months. This mostly due to the fact that prosthetics need to be tailor made to an individuals exact size requirements. However since 3D printing is becoming an affordable option for prosthetics, with some less than $200, the idea of someone being able to create a prosthetic from the comforts of their own home is becoming a reality.
In the future, prosthetics will be integrated seamlessly into people’s everyday lives with little to no effort. Upcoming 3D scanning and body modeling companies will help individuals easily, and cost effectively, scan limbs to make a more natural fitting prosthetic. 3D Printers are also becoming well suited with a variety of different material, such as lightweight titanium, which increases strength and durability.
Click HERE to read more on the story by techcrunch.com!
3D Printing With New Materials
January 19, 2016It seems that everyday, universities, private companies and small start-ups are pushing the boundaries of what 3D printing can truly be capable of. One day we’re printing cars, the next we’re printing clothes, the next we’re printing buildings and beyond. But, this new advancement in 3D printing technology is tackling the idea of 3D printing in an entirely new way. A team at the University of Bristol has developed a 3D printer that can print composite materials.
These composite materials range from sports equipment to airplane parts. Take for example a golf club. By manufacturing a club with a 3D printer, you’re able to design a club to a players exact specifications, flawlessly. This technology has only scratched the surface of what it can be capable of, but by pushing the technology into new printing materials, the 3D printing technology can now be utilized and explored by a vastly larger population. It’s no longer a technology of the future, it’s truly a technology of now.