Kevin Lepton

3D Printing – Next Big Thing – You Know It Is

 3D Printing  1 Response »
Aug 012013
 

It’s no secret that I’ve been blabbering on a butt load about 3D printing lately. And why not since this not only will be the next big thing since slice bread but will actually make the sliced bread as well.

Now, being a fan of Ted.com I feel in my heart of heart of ace of hearts that I have to share this with you. Here are some of the future uses of 3D Printing:

• Rocket parts
• Guns
• Meat and Leather (Oh, yes I did!)
• Any food
• Housing
• Liquid metal parts
• Bionic ears, jaw bones (and other human parts)
• High fashion
• Moon base

Okay, there are only 9 things listed instead of 10. Where is the blasted 10th bullet point! The point I’m trying to make, however, is that 3D printing is start to come into our homes. The price of printers has come down into the $500 – $2,500 range for you and me.

And for high end printers, there is one flying off soon to the International Space Station that will make parts to repair the International Space Station. How cool is that? No more long shipping times from planet Earth-o.


Sources

http://blog.ted.com/2013/07/29/a-3d-printed-future-10-surprising-things-we-could-see-printed-soon/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/nasa/how-it-works-3d-printing-in-space-15758828

 

3D Printing an Airplane – Just Hit Print

 3D Printing  Comments Off on 3D Printing an Airplane – Just Hit Print
Jul 082013
 

A cabin engineer for Airbus, Bastian Schaefer, has designed a private jet that is printable. Some of the parts are too large for today’s 3D printers but the plans are out there.

A few years ago, 3D printing was being used only for rapid prototyping in the airplane industry. Now, a few non-critical parts are being fabricated using 3D printing.

According to Popular Science, “For example, the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner includes 30 or so printed components—a record—but most of them are air ducts or hinges. That, too, could change. In November, NASA started printing parts to test for its next heavy-lift rocket. One company, DIYRockets, went even further: It launched a contest to develop an open-source, 3-D–printable rocket engine.”

Techniques like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and electron-beam melting give companies more options as do materials used in printers such as titanium, resin and ceramic.

In fact, students at the University of Virginia have printed an unmanned aerial vehicle using a 3D printer and flown it around an airfield.

Got an idea for your own personal, experimental aircraft? Just hit Print.

 

Sources

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-06/future-flight-planes-will-be-printed

 

Future of Heart Medicine

 Future Medical Technology  Comments Off on Future of Heart Medicine
Jun 182013
 

Not only are medical nanobots the future of medicine but according to one video they will be communicating with your smartphone and your physician’s as well. Why is this important, well for one reason, tiny medical nanobots will be able to predict oncoming heart attacks among other conditions.

Check out the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=r13uYs7jglg

In other futuristic heart news, two doctors have now replaced a beating human heart with a continue flow device. It’s been thought for eons that a heart has to beat in order for the body to function well. The doctors in this video have turned that belief on its ear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzTXaUltXUA&feature=youtu.be

And if you’re looking for a cool 3D heart app that physicians are now using check this out.

http://www.imedicalapps.com/2012/02/heart-pro-app-cardiac-anatomy-physicians/

 

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