Recently it seems that not a day goes by without someone announcing a new innovation in 3D printing. From guns to full scale houses, the items that can be created via additive manufacturing seem potentially limitless, with even NASA getting in on the act!
Below are five brilliant (and in some cases slightly bonkers) uses for 3D printing that have caught our eye over the last year. Who know what they will come up with next…
1) Bionic Ears
The medical sector could feel a real benefit from the 3D printing revolution, with many success stories already reported. These include 3D printing of dental models, custom made splints for surgery on young children, and research into 3D printed organs that could help solve donor organ shortages.
In the video above, a ‘bionic ear’ created by a research team at Princeton University picks up the dulcet tones of Beethoven with an inbuilt radio antenna. The printing method used interweaves silver nanoparticles, bovine cells and silicone. Though it cannot be used in its current form to replace a human ear, it is still pretty incredible technology,
2) Teaching Robot
3D Printed ESRA Robot Face
Though the robotic face shown above may unnerve some, it could potentially be the start of a teaching revolution.
Brian Patton, a teacher at Princeton Friends School in Princeton, certainly thinks so. His novel ‘teaching assistants’, created as part of the Expressive System for Robotic Animation (ESRA) technology project, could help engage pupils in academic subjects that previously they weren’t interested in. The structure was printed on a Solidoodle 2 printer, and a Mini Maestro running ServoScriber controls the robots facial expressions.
3) Spider Robot
T8 the Bio Inspired 3D Printed Spider Octopod Robot
If you thought the robotic face was scary, perhaps you should look away now. In a move that will have arachnophobes everywhere reaching for a rolled-up newspaper, engineers have produced a life-like ‘ocotopod’ wireless robot using 3D printed parts. The model uses 26 motors powered by a Bigfoot™ Inverse Kinematics Engine, which results in extremely realistic motions.
4) Liquid Metal Structures
3D Printing of Liquid Metals at Room Temperature
In a research project that could have far-reaching consequences for the electronics sector, a team from North Carolina State University has shown how to 3D print structures comprised of metal liquid droplets at room temperature.
The secret lies in the oxide skin that quickly forms when the alloy of indium and gallium reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere. Given that the material is also extremely malleable and self-healing, the emerging market of ‘bendy electronics’ could benefit greatly from the work.
5) Car Parts
Cubify 3D printing car wheel in 4 hours
Finally, an announcement that will have all amateur car enthusiasts jumping for joy. Ok, the wheel may only be for a toy car, but the principle is there to be scaled up. Perhaps a new series of ‘Print My Ride’ is on the cards?
Those are our picks, but the list is far from exhaustive. Let us know what 3D printing innovation has caught your eye over the last year via our Facebook page and the comments section below.
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