3D printers have been around for a few years now, but
they've not quite managed to grab the imagination until very recently...
In the last few months, pioneers have picked up the art of
3D printing, looking to build anything from sex toys to food, to entire houses.
Some attempts and ventures have been more successful than others, but one thing
is clear - 3D printing has enormous potential. It might be less time than you
think before we're replicating food in our own homes.
Without further ado, here are 10 of the coolest (and
sometimes weirdest) things you can currently make with a 3D printer.
1. ODD Atom guitar
This Les Paul-inspired axe has an intricate lattice design
made of Duraform PA, an ultra-strong form of nylon. It’s fused together using
selective laser sintering - a more durable form of 3D printing that fuses
together multiple 0.1mm layers of nylon powder. Buyers can choose their
preferred hardware to go with the printed guitar body.
Link: Odd Guitars | Video
2. Replacement Jaw
In June 2011, a Dutch woman received a replacement jaw. No
big deal you may think, but this mandible was built from scratch by a 3D
printer. The process is similar to that of the ODD guitar, with layers of
powder - this time titanium - fused together by a laser. The result was a
replacement jaw that was incredibly accurate to the patient, lowering her
recovery time and saving costs for both her and the hospital.
Link: BBC News
3. Flute
This flute is the handiwork of MIT student Amit Zoran. But
Zoran is no traditional craftsman - this flute was built via CAD software
called Rhino 4.0, and crafted by Objet's Connex500 3D printer. Although it's
needs some tweaking, the sound is acoustically very good. We could be seeing
all sorts of musical instruments - even totally new designs - being built like
this in the future.
Link: Amit Zoran | Video
4. Wiki Weapon
This project to make a 3D-printable gun has been the subject
of much media attention, and has made great strides in recent years. So far
though, only certain gun components can be machined in this way, and even those
are prone to breakage. So no, you can’t print AK-47s in your shed.
Link: Defense Distributed | Video
5. Micro Formula 1 Car
Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have printed
an exact replica of an F1 car, but measuring just 330x130x100 micrometers - to
contextualize, that makes the model slightly narrower than a human hair. It was
done using two-photon lithography - a process that allows the building of
nano-structures in just minutes.
Link: Vienna University of Technology | Video
6. Ancient Artifacts
Staff at Harvard's Semitic Museum have been attempting to
renovate some ancient statues via 3D printing. The statue in question is that
of a lion - a symbol of the near eastern goddess fertility goddess Ishtar.
Using a more intact version of the statue from the University of Pennsylvania,
experts are managing to restore this artifact using high-density foam and the
potential for advancement in the field of archaeology is enormous.
Link: Harvard Semitic Museum
7. Giant Wrench
French company Objet are undoubtedly the pioneers of 3D
printing, and there's nothing they love more than printing huge 3D models just
to prove that they can. This giant wrench is fully functional, if totally
impractical and proof that 3D printers can deal with extremely large objects as
competently as they handle the microscopic.
Link: Objet | Video
8. Records
Vinyl is as fashionable as it ever has been, with many music
connoisseurs still preferring the analog acoustics of a record to the digitized
sound of a CD or MP3. Seattle-ite Amanda Ghassaei has been attempting to
reproduce classic albums on records made from printable plastics.
Link: Amanda Ghassaei
9. A model of your unborn child
Yes, you read that right. Japanese company Fasotec will scan
you if you're 8-9 months pregnant. They then take that scan, and input it into
a 3D printer, which creates a 3D model of your unborn foetus, encased in resin.
If that's how you roll. Or if you want to freak your kids out in 15 years time.
Link: Fasotec | Video
10. Bikini
In partnership with Continuum Fashion, Shapeways has created
the first ever printed, wearable bikini. The front, back and straps all come
separately and are hooked onto each other. The challenge was to create a
comfortable fabric out of solid nylon. The answer? Thousands of circular nylon
plates, connected by tiny springs.
Link: Shapeways
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