Tag Archives: 3-D Printing

Creating Touchable Holograms through 3-D Printing

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ub7JyVDsTw

Anyone that watches SciFi knows that the big downfall to holograms is that you can’t touch them. You just pass right through them, ruining the illusion. However, in real life there are several projects working on creating touchable holograms. The problem with these projects are – of course – the cost and availability of tools. But the general idea is that you use focused sound waves to create resistance at various points in mid-air to mimic the feel of virtual objects. New work is going into creating cheaper ways to do this, including printing tools that help shape sound waves in 3-D printers. Of course, this only works for static objects, but its still a new idea that will get more sophisticated over time. The video above really doesn’t make much sense outside of the article, but it is pretty interesting at the end where they make drops of water levitate in mid-air.

Improving 3D Printing with Sculptable Filament

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXPrm0-0EV8

I have kind of lost count of how many 3-D printing revolutions there currently are out there. About 30 or so I would say. But if you ignore the over used hype of “revolution,” there are often some interesting ideas out there. One of the problems with 3-D printing is that even higher cost devices struggle to replicate fine details. One company that is seeking to fix that is Adam Beane Industries. The video above has been out for a while, but there is currently a Kickstarter to take their Cx5 tool-set to the next level. The basic idea is that you print out a basic 3-D base (like the dinosaur head above), smooth out the imperfections and lines from printing, then add fine detail with a specialized set of sculpting tools and drops of melted filament. Obviously, this tool would appeal more to those that have the artistic chops to do something with it. I’d like to see this combined with the ability to change colors, and maybe even an airbrush. My guess is that someday 3-D printing will evolve enough that we will be able to print objects with this level of detail from the start. Or maybe these tools will be integrated into 3-D printers on robot arms. Who knows. But an interesting development, and also good to see that an idea from last year is still moving forward.

3-D Laser Printers – or More Accurately, Laser Material Cutters

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Glowforge bills itself as an “iconic 3-D Laser printer” that “makes magical things at the push of a button.” Of course, those of us that remember the 90s remember when laser printers were all the rage, but it is important to note that 3-D printers are not really printers at all. The Glowforge FAQs point out that their product is not really a printer but a “CNC laser cutter engraver” that can cut shapes out of, or engrave designs into, solid pieces of leather, wood, acrylic, or chocolate. In order for your creations to really be 3-D, you kind of have to glue those pieces together layer by layer. But you can print up some cool things with it… if you can afford the $4700 price tag. And I am not sure I would be ready to stick my Mac-book into this machine to let it engrave designs on it. But the video makes it look you can create all kinds of things – like a rubber band shooting drone” – or engrave designs on all kinds of existing things (clothes, food, books, etc). Someday we all may just need our own FabLab room next to the laundry room or office it seems.

Higher Quality 3D Printing With Complex Chemical Processes

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While 3-D printing is pretty interesting, there are still many limitations (on top of the price). Many 3-D printers use additive processes that can create imperfect surface finished, brittle products, and manufacturing defects. Which is not a big deal when printing up a chess set, but could cause problems with wider usage of 3-D products in every day life. Many companies are creating new methods to overcome these limitations. One example is Carbon, a company that has created a high-end 3-D printer that works on the same basic idea as the OLO phone printer. Light is used to hardened chemicals that are pulled out of the resin to create accurate finishes, stronger products, and more complex possibilities – all in a fairly fast process. This is still expensive for now, but if we are soon going to get $100 versions that use our phones, I bet the cost is coming down soon.

3-D Print Metal in Midair

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One of the considerations when creating objects in most 3-D printers is that the laws of physics and gravity still apply to what you print (unlike what you can create in 3-D software). So supports and bridges still have to be built in to be removed later. Sometimes this is just because printing from the ground up creates gaps in support until the entire structure is finished. In many educational applications, this is a good problem because users have to think through problems, propose design solutions, etc. Some printers are overcoming this limitation in novel ways. A team at Harvard is using a novel combination of metal and lasers to create a printer that can solidify melted medal in midair, making lines of metal that can support more complex creations in midair. You kind of have to watch the video above to see it in action, but it is a pretty interesting process.

Turn Your Phone into a 3-D Printer

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRU6h46eAmg

I know it sounds like a crazy claim, but there is a serious project out there that wants to turn your cellphone into a 3-D printer. And it will cost $99. Watch the video above to see this project in action (and you still have time to buy one through the KickStarter!). 3-D printing is starting to come down in price, but the big question is how flexible will it become, and how will people use it in everyday life? By flexibility, I mean things like color and material. Its cool to print some trinkets in one color, but when will we see colors available? And what about things that have different materials, like metal and plastic? Someday hopefully. The other problem is how to use it in everyday life. Sure, you can print up some one time cool things, but then what? I think this OLO is one way to look at how to practically use it – 3-D messaging. The other side is to give people the ability to make things and send it to others. I see that as a better use for education.