10 of the Coolest Things to come out of a 3D Printer
2018-09-17 14:40:42
The excitement that has been building up for a number of years about the possibilities of 3D printing has begun to bubble over recently, and here at Cartridge Shop we are really excited about the possibilities for the future!
All over the internet you can find groups of people hurriedly discussing how we will soon be able to print houses and solve the common problems of having to get up to find food.
For those of you that are not exactly sure how 3D printing works then have no fear. This potentially revolutionary process works by layering down successive coats of material on top of each other (an additive process) until a physical, 3D object is formed.
While this technology is still well in its infancy, there are still a number of incredible objects emerging from these machines right this second.
Here are 10 of them…
A Chocolate Version of Your Own Face
For those of us that have always harboured a sly desire to eat their own face or watch a friend or a loved one do it, then technology has finally caught up with human imagination.
The ‘Eat Your Face Machine’ (EYFM) was developed through a collaboration between David Carr and the Media Lab at MIT, and works by scanning your face and then building a recreation in chocolate. Cool hey!
Historical Artefacts
There are two main ways that 3D scanning can be applied with regards to historical artefacts. The first is that scientists can recreate particularly delicate pieces so as to examine their structures without really having to touch them.
The second way is currently being utilised by the Smithsonian Institute in the US and involves digitizing and then recreating a number of its more precious pieces so that it can take them on educational tours.
Synthetic Bones
The possible medical implications of 3D printing are huge, with one area of clear early success being the printing of synthetic human bone structures. Not only have doctors restored elderly patients bite using a lower jaw printed from a printer, but replacement hands and limbs have also been printed out as well!
Cars
In 2011, the Urbee model of electrical car went on show in Canada. Significant amounts of the Urbee, which can manage a very wallet friendly 200 miles to the gallon, were produced using a 3D printing of fully recycled materials.
Buildings
Inventor Enrico Dini has looked at 3D printing and seen more than amusing chocolate recreations of President Jefferson. Dini’s “3D Printing System” is essentially a huge machine that creates solid structures out of liquid adhesive, sand and a solid catalyst./
You can find the trailer for a documentary about Dini and his invention here
A Life Size model of Your Unborn Child
I find this a little unsettling to be honest, but a clinic in Japan has begun offering expectant parents a life size recreation of the little bundle of potential joy developing in the womb./
I guess this would make a great mantelpiece ornament, as well as a great way to freak your child out when they get a little older!/
Bikinis
N12.bikini – Intro Video from Continuum Fashion on Vimeo.
Continuum Fashion’s N12 plastic bikini is created by printing out thousands and thousands of circular plates which are connected to one another by tiny springs./
It is hoped that the future of fashion and 3D printing will revolve around consumers having the ability to guarantee that their clothes are made to exact specifications and body size using 3D scanners and printers./
A Working Clock
3D printing technology has already advanced to the level where a single printer can now churn out a fully functional analogue clock with a huge amount of gears and internal mechanisms./
This kind of practical application will really rely upon the technology becoming more widespread. There are already many existing templates, but the broader possibility on the horizon is that consumers will be able to purchase templates before printing out their own products at home./
Burritos
Yes you read that right. Somewhere in the world this very moment there is a machine that is capable of printing out a hot and fresh burrito. Well, not really, but the Burrit0bot can print out your sauces while you provide your own meat and beans./
Is this close to the pinnacle of human ingenuity or another crushing blow to service industry workers the world over?/
Dinosaur Bones
Similar to the making of recreations of historical artefacts mentioned earlier, but way, way cooler!/
So there you have it, some of the coolest things that we can print using 3D printers right this very second! Who knows what the future holds, but as a word of warning… please do not put a burrito (or your face for that matter) in a printer.
