U.S. Army Embraces 3D Printers: “It’s Kind of a Magical Thing” Rapid Technologies Branch Chief Rick Moore explains the many ways 3D printing is being used at the Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. The following article was written by Singularity Hub Member David McNally from the U.S. Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command, and appeared on www.army.mil. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. Fifty years ago what goes on in this lab would have been considered science fiction, but what these Army researchers do is scientific fact. These artisan engineers create three-dimensional objects out of plastic and metal in printers that seem like Star Trek replicators. “It’s allowed us to develop items for the warfighter quicker,” said Rapid Technologies Branch Chief Rick Moore, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. The lab is an element of the U.S. Three-dimensional objects are created with computer-aided design, or CAD, programs, but Moore and his team also use lasers to “read” an object to create a 3D file. Source: U.S.
32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow - Interactive Feature Electric Clothes Physicists at Wake Forest University have developed a fabric that doubles as a spare outlet. When used to line your shirt — or even your pillowcase or office chair — it converts subtle differences in temperature across the span of the clothing (say, from your cuff to your armpit) into electricity. And because the different parts of your shirt can vary by about 10 degrees, you could power up your MP3 player just by sitting still. Chris Nosenzo The New Coffee Soon, coffee isn’t going to taste like coffee — at least not the dark, ashy roasts we drink today. Analytical Undies Your spandex can now subtly nag you to work out. The Morning Multitasker The problem with laptops and tablets, says Mark Rolston of the design firm Frog, is that they’re confined by a screen. Clean Hair, No Hands This 15-minute shampoo treatment begins when you lean your head back into a machine that looks like a sink at the salon. What are your two best million-dollar ideas? The Congestion Killer
Second industrial revolution is under way Cookies on the New Scientist website close Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. To continue using our website and consent to the use of cookies, click away from this box or click 'Close' Find out about our cookies and how to change them Log in Your login is case sensitive I have forgotten my password close My New Scientist Look for Science Jobs 3D printing: Second industrial revolution is under way In this special report New Scientist finds out what’s next, from printed robots to plans to bring the technology to the masses 3D print a fossil with virtual palaeontology The combination of CT scanning and 3D printing is taking the discovery and recreation of ancient fossils into the 21st centuryRead more The sceptic's guide to 3D printing 3D printing is a revolutionary technology, but never mind the hype, says MacGregor Campbell – it will make its impact in unexpected waysRead more The world's first printed plane Death
Bessel beam "tractor beam" concept theoretically demonstrated Researchers have demonstrated a tractor beam using a Bessel beam (not pictured) is theoretically possible (Photo: Shutterstock) Last year, we looked at three potential “tractor beam” technologies being evaluated by NASA to deliver planetary or atmospheric particles to a robotic rover or orbiting spacecraft. At the time, the third of these, which involved the use of a Bessel beam, only existed on paper. Haifeng Wang at the A*STAR Data Storage Institute and colleagues studied the properties of Bessel beams, which, unlike normal laser beams, don’t diffract or spread out as they propagate. The team says the amount of tractor beam force depends on various factors, including the electrical and magnetic properties of the particles. While true Bessel beams are impossible to create, as they would require an infinite amount of energy, reasonably good approximations can be made and are used in many optical applications. The team’s research appears in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Future Tech: How 3D Printing Will Change the World Photo Credit: Mary MacTavish May 9, 2012 | Like this article? Join our email list: Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email. 3D printing is a hot topic right now, especially with reports of this incredible technology entering the consumer marketplace. While the technology isn’t nearly as versatile or as user-friendly as the science fiction dream, the implications include the potential to provide the things we need in much greener, less-centralized, less resource-intensive way. In short: as with so many human inventions, the future of 3D printing includes the good, the bad and the grotesque. The Good 3D printing actually refers to a range of different technologies for making a three-dimensional object from a digital file. The first rapid prototyping machine using 3D printing technology went into commercial use in 1986. Thanks to the ability to build a product from the bottom up, 3D printers can print shapes that cannot be viably manufactured any other way.
Forces that enable creative design (Photo: Colourbox) General interest in design is on the rise. Good industrial design may also be the key to successful innovation and commercial success. Unfortunately, however, relatively few Norwegian companies distinguish themselves on the design front. "If Norway is to make a mark in terms of new and future-oriented design, we must dare to do things differently," says Associate Professor Birgit Helene Jevnaker at the BI Norwegian Business School. In search of industrial design – hidden treasures In her PhD study Jevnaker examined how creative design can be developed through long-term collaboration between enterprising company employees and external specialists in industrial design. Among other things, she followed design development processes at furniture manufacturers Håg and Stokke, the reverse vending solutions company Tomra, and Hamax, a manufacturer of child seats for bicycles, snow sledges, and ski products. Five forces that enable creative design Birgit H. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3.
Unfold Using 3D printing technology to restore ancient treasures of China’s Forbidden City An example of one of the 3D models created from the arteficts on display at the Palace Museum in Beijing Image Gallery (2 images) We’ve already seen the 3D printing technology that promises to turn a household desk into a mini manufacturing plant used by the Smithsonian Institution to produce replicas of key models for display and traveling exhibitions. Now a 3D printing process is being used to help restore ancient artifacts from China’s Forbidden City. Beijing’s Forbidden City, which houses the Palace Museum, is home to an extensive collection of priceless artwork and artifacts dating back hundreds of years, including the largest collection of preserved wooden structures in the world. Conventional restoration methods involve a painstaking and expensive process of measuring, photographing and manually repairing of objects. After the shape of the original objects is captured using laser or optical scanners, damaged areas can be digitally restored ready for 3D printing. About the Author
Could 3D printing be a climate revolution? Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation. By Caitlin Werrell and Francesco Femia Humanity has lived through many ages and transformations. But as we stare at our computer screens, a new age is sneaking up on us quite unexpectedly - one that combines the durability and strength of the industrial age with the flexibility and adaptability of the virtual age. It is an age that will be built not with hammers, but with printers - 3D printers. 3D printing, also known as “additive manufacturing” is the printing of physical 3D objects from a digital plan. Additive manufacturing allows designers to create intricate structures that in some instances would be impossible to construct otherwise. A notable use of the technology is by the U.S. military’s new Expeditionary Lab - Mobile. Like many technologies first created for the defense industry, 3D printing technology has potential civilian applications. 1. 2) Enabling rapid prototyping. 3. 5.
Ocean-powered robotic jellyfish could theoretically run forever Researchers have created a robot that mimics the motion of a jellyfish and draws energy from the water in which it swims Image Gallery (4 images) Researchers have created a silicone submarinal robot that gets about by mimicking the motion of a jellyfish. The robot is powered by heat-producing reactions catalyzed by its surface, and using hydrogen and oxygen present in the water as fuel. "To our knowledge, this is the first successful powering of an underwater robot using external hydrogen as a fuel source," said Yonas Tadesse, lead author of a Robojelly study, published on Tuesday. The actuators themselves are made of a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy wrapped with multi-wall carbon nanotube sheets which are themselves coated with a catalytic platinum powder. It is hoped that the robot, funded by the Office of Naval Research and in development since 2009, will pave the way for an unmanned surveillance submarine. Sources: Institute of Physics, Virginia Tech About the Author
Rise of 3DPrinting Currently several universities and researching institutes are working on the research and devleopment of bio-manufacturing, ceramic forming, laser sintering machines and materials. Although China has become the unchallenged global manufacturing centre, China's manufacturing industry has a lot of pressure from high labour costs and low efficiency of economic growth. Su thinks the development and broader use of 3Dprinting technology could improve China's productivity and ease China's pressure on energy and resources. Peigen Li, president of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology said that China was on par with western countries in development and application of the 3Dprinting technology. Academician Bingheng Lu from Chinese Academy of Engineering added that the ratio of 3Dprinters being developed indicate a country's economic vitality and innovation capability. Currently the U.S.A. has 38.5 percent of the world's total 3Dprinters, and China has only 8.6 percent.