The Marvels of 3D Printing - Houses, Cars and Boats!

If you've been following our blog, you've most likely been impressed with 3D printing's versatility - stylish casts, augmented reality sets, retro gaming devices and even beautiful dresses - but now, prepare to marvel in 3DP's greatest achievements.

Think big - both in scope and size - and you may come close to what we're about to show you.

A Giant 3D Printer in Action

We're taking a look at 3D printable houses, cars and boats - in a quick review sure to please the techies and leave the average person dumbfounded.

You may be asking - how can a relatively small device create a house, or rather, a home, or even a vehicle?

Simply put, these are no average printers - reports claim that the behemoth used to create houses is 10 metres wide and 6.6 metres tall, placing it towards the top of the 3D printing food chain.

The video below captures an ambitious Chinese company's plans to mass produce houses. Oh, and these aren't made of plastic! Using recycled stone and quick-drying cement, WinSun, the company responsible, are able to construct 10 eco-friendly dwellings a day!

As we look towards our Chinese printing cousins - we must admire their efficiency and applaud their intention to plug a hole in the market. With China's property bubble only beginning to show signs of popping in 2014, millions are currently occupying less than adequate living quarters.

Sitting at only a few thousand dollars each, these cosy houses would make a perfect home for the millions of students in Beijing, for example.

Besides being cost-effective, 3D printing is all about environmental protection and longevity. In line with this, Kor Ecologic ltd. are aiming to reduce the billion vehicles already present on our polluted roads - by, you guessed it, 3D printing cars.

As per Korecologic.com, by the time 2050 rolls around the world's car population will rise to a staggering 2.5 billion. Clearly it would be advantageous for the children of tomorrow to purchase one type of car when they reach their coming of age - one that supports, rather than destroys the environment.

With 3D printing ushering in a new wave of efficiency and sustainability for those knowledgeable enough to harness its power - one should certainly consider a 3D printable car as a gift for the near future.

So, what 3D printed cars are currently available on the market?

The URBEE 2 - a space age looking vehicle with an internal and external structure entirely 3D printed - would be able to travel an extraordinary 4000 kilometers with only 10 gallons of bio-fuel!

The URBEE 2 in Action

Malta 3D Printing is very excited about this prospect! As an upgrade from its predecessor, the URBEE (a worldwide sensation in 2011), the small but stylish URBEE 2 promises to deliver reliability and affordability for a better tomorrow.

Moving on to the final inspirational product that we've chosen to feature on our blog today, we have a pair of 3D printed boats sure to turn heads across the seven seas.

One of thee promising creations is from a group of passionate American students from the University of Washington with their 'milk jug' style boat - and another from our friends from the East, a Chinese boat that dipped its toes in the water for the first time less than 2 weeks ago!

The 3D Printed 'Milk Jug' Boat In Pole Position

The group of students who designed and crafted the 'milk jug' boat entered it into the annual Seattle Milk Carton Derby, finishing the race in second place! After 8 long weeks of research and preparation, the student team used recycled and melted milk cartons to build their sea vessel - as opposed to the standard thermoplastics normally used.

The Chinese boat, created by the country's largest 3D printer, is a two-metre long boat weighing in at 35 kilograms, and made of nylon. Similar to the American entry, the Chinese boat supports two adults.

Chinese Addition to 3D Printed Boats by Sanya Industrial Innovation Design

Malta 3D Printing believes that group of UW students really outdid themselves. Both companies used a minimalist approach, recycling different materials to achieve aesthetically pleasing and practical products.

Of course, these projects are not for any regular amateur - requiring plenty of materials and knowledge in the world of 3D printing and their respective areas (architecture, aerodynamics, buoyancy, to name a few).

We hope to see more groundbreaking additions to the 3D printed world soon!

Retro Gaming Revolution

Wouldn't it be nice to sit back and relax while a 3D printer churns out a video game console or a stylish controller?

It sounds unrealistic to say the least - but this seemingly futuristic production process is already happening! 

We're not talking about Xbox One's and PS4's being produced en masse - but rather, about retro gaming and innovative peripherals making a return thanks to 3D printing.

Courtesy of Adafruit, a New-York based outfit that incorporates 3D printing in certain products, the open-source community has received a major boost.

3D Printed Game Boy

In collaboration with the ground-breaking Raspberry Pi, 3D printing now boasts the quarter-century old Game boy in its arsenal. Created by Adafruit, Raspberry Pi - easily mistaken for a small motherboard - is actually a mini-computer you can plug into your TV or keyboard. 

Capable of smooth emulation, all the Raspberry Pi requires to transform into a Game boy is a few hours of dedication and the necessary components. The video below directs viewers to a user-friendly assembly guide.

Once its assembled, all that's left is to download your favorite old school games, (in 'ROM' format)  upload them onto the SD card and begin button bashing.

Broken buttons on your new Game Boy after hours of playing? Malta 3D Printing has you covered!

Sure, a Game Boy isn't a revolutionary product that's going to change the world, but it definitely highlights 3D printing’s versatility. It can easily take devices that are decades old and breathe fresh life into them.

3D Printed Guitar/Controller

Adafruit once again provides the cornerstone of this 3D printed guitar, in the form of Bluefruit EZ-key. This nifty Bluetooth device allows users to turn any game-pad - or DIY project like the EZ-Key MIDI Guitar - into a fully functioning controller.

Besides looking totally awesome, the EZ-Key MIDI Guitar is multifunctional – serving either as a MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) instrument, DJ controller or a regular video game controller.

You could customize your own case in a material you desire, without worrying about 3D printing, but where’s the fun in that?

  

Printed in four separate pieces, this project is not for an amateur technician. 

However, should you have the time, tools and patience available at your disposal, this guitar will definitely turn heads.

You can upload data from your musical masterpieces on the web, or quench your thirst for superficial crowd approval on Guitar Hero. You can even make playing everyday video games extremely challenging, by attempting to use it as a normal controller!

All 10 buttons are customizable, and there's even a mic inside the casing which allows the LED lights to change depending on sound levels.

Portaberry Pi

Our favourite product from today's post is the Portaberry Pi, another DIY project that uses Raspberry Pi. 

Unveiled on 3DPrintBoard's online forum by a dedicated hobbyist, Portaberry Pi is the result of dozens of unselfish man hours aimed at providing gaming aficionados with a new toy to play with.

It may not be as recognizable as the Game Boy, a symbol of gaming culture – but it’s certainly easy on the eye and definitely captures the retro gaming feeling.

 

 Recently featured on LifeHacker, the Portaberry Pi has been described as a "fantastic retro game machine," and the best part about it - the files are all available for free on Thingiverse.

One can only hope that this mentality continues to proliferate throughout society, allowing people with technical know-how to share their knowledge and wisdom with others.

3D Printing Takes The Fashion World By Storm

When Chuck Hull invented the 3D printer back in the early eighties, revitalizing the fashion world may have been the last thing on his mind. Fast forward to 2014, and Hull's invention has proved instrumental in changing the way we're creating clothes, shoes and jewelry, to name a few.

3D printing is uniting experts from different professions, as architects and fashion designers team up to take things to the next level.

Whether it's a necklace packed with diamonds sold at a staggering $105,000, or a pair of football cleats by Nike perfectly designed to match your foot - 3D printing has found yet another market to sink its teeth into.

3D Printed 'Platinum Diamond Riviera Necklace' - Sold for $105,000

Besides ushering in a new wave of creativity, 3DP is also reducing fashion's carbon footprint. Regardless of the increase in plastics that one may associate with printing's penetration into the mainstream, commonly used materials like PLA are corn-based. This points to a reduction in the less environmentally friendly petroleum-based plastics.

It's difficult to mention 3D printing's finger in the fashion pie without this powerful image of Dita von Teese donning this stunning dress.

Architect Francis Bitonti and fashion designer Michael Schmidt teamed up to create this masterpiece, providing a necessary catalyst for the fashion industry to take this branch of technology seriously.

Dita von Teese Poses In A Fabulous 3D Printed Dress

The burlesque star modelled the world's first fully articulated dress at an exclusive event at the Ace Hotel in New York, hosted by the 3D printing marketplace, Shapeways.

The designer dress was created based off the golden ratio, a mathematical equation found throughout the universe which humans readily identify with beauty. For more on how the golden ratio (aka the Fibonacci sequence) was incorporated into the dress, check out this interesting Youtube video.

Courtesy of a 3D scanner, von Teese's body was scanned down to the last curve and turned into a 3D model, giving the team behind the dress unprecedented customization abilities.

This special ensemble has 17 different pieces, which were adjoined, lacquered and fitted with over 13,000 Swarovski crystals. On top of that, the dress has 2,500 intersecting parts which had to be attached by hand.

Encrusted with 13,000 Swarovski crystals

Currently, this picturesque piece will only interest the wealthiest fashion aficionados and celebrities. However - so long as you don't expect a few thousand diamonds on your average 3D printed dress - we can expect to see less glamorous garments made at home sometime soon.

Shapeways is the 3D printing company on the forefront of the fashion battle. But who else is involved in this fiery relationship between fashion and technology?

He may not be as stylish as Bitonti or Schmidt, but Google's Head of Engineering Ray Kurzweil is causing shock-waves in the fashion world - by proclaiming that we'll all be printing clothes at home within a few years.

By 2020, Kurzweil, aka "the restless genius" (as the Wall Street Journal branded him) foresees the sharing of 3D printable schematics as an everyday thing. Currently, 3D printing's online fashion world has yet to blossom, but the seed has been planted.

Kurzweil emphasizes the importance of open-source development, a huge step towards the great transformation that the fashion world would go through - so long as the restless genius' predictions are correct. Perhaps one day, a fashion equivalent of Thingiverse will emerge, symbolizing the shift in power in a fashion industry valued at $1.7 trillion in 2012 (according to FashionUnited's statistics) in America alone.

For more on Ray Kurzweil's insight into the future of 3DP, technology and fashion, check out one of his many interviews here :

Printing’s Impact on Medicine – 3D Printable Casts & Prosthetics

Today we’re taking a look at the promising implications 3D printing has for the medical industry.

From bones healing faster to amputees walking again, 3D printing's healing hand is not going unnoticed. Confused about how new-age printers can help patients? 

Read on and we’ll explain all about it.

The Evolution of the Plaster Cast
The Cortex Cast

2013 saw the introduction of the ‘Cortex Cast’, a stylish, ventilated 3D printable cast invented by University of Wellington graduate Jake Evill. 

Built in 2 or more pieces and then adjoined, the patients’ limbs can be scanned and turned into a 3D model, allowing for an accurate fit. 

Currently, printers may take hours to churn out a complete plastic cast, but we can expect this time to be reduced drastically as efficiency increases in the coming years.

This experimental product will cater to individuals varying limb sizes, and in the future can be printed on site, in a hospital or clinic. The smile on a patient's face will serve as proof of witnessing a successful marriage between medicine and technology.

Available in various colors, printable casts will grow to symbolize 3D printing's low-key invasion into the fashion world. Expect Malta 3D Printing to blog about this shortly!

The Osteoid

A 3D printable cast known as the ‘Osteoid’ is helping to heal bones up to 80% faster. Created by Turkish design graduate Deniz Karasahin, the cast’s plastic, aerated structure allows for an ultrasound device to be attached to it – resulting in improved treatment for patients. 


Bulkiness, itchiness and discomfort associated with plaster casts will become a thing of the past thanks to the Osteoid’s lattice pattern and lightweight build.

 

This promising invention won the ‘A'Design Award in 3D Printed Forms and Products Design in 2013. Its full name is the ‘Osteoid Medical Cast, Attachable Bone Stimulator’, but we prefer the ‘Osteoid.’ 

The wires attached to the plastic frame (see picture above) allow for the healing pulse to be sent to the desired area, sending ultrasound waves at the touch of a button. 

With a single 20 minute daily session, the Osteoid can potentially improve healing rates by up to 80% in non-union fractures, and up to 38% in other fractures.

The Osteoid is made out of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), a popular thermoplastic with 3D printing vendors, household goods and food containers. While it may seem like a simple design, the precise location of each air space is algorithmically calculated, and the locking mechanism (see picture below) may vary in location from case to case.

 Both the aforementioned models are more expensive than present day remedies, but offer localized healing, water-resistance, and a higher standard of environmental sustainability and aesthetics.

We can only imagine a little girl with a broken hand looking up at a doctor, smiling as she tries on her cast in her favourite colour. Small details can go a long way!

 Once 3D printing successfully infiltrates hospitals worldwide, expect to see a myriad of patients with casts in blue, red, yellow green and more!

3D Printable Prosthetics 

According to statistics collected in 2008, there are approximately10 million people across the world living with amputations (arm, elbow, shoulder, leg, knee etc.). 

Unfortunately, only a select few can even afford prosthetic limbs, as a large percentage of amputees live in developing countries. 

Skeptical about 3D printing's global influence? Well, it's a good thing Malta 3D Printing's here.

Miracles are already happening throughout the 3D printing world. Patrice Johnson, using a $500,000 3D printer owned by Ex-One, began printing prosthetic arms and lending a helping hand to people in less fortunate parts of the world.

 “Right on the border of Burma and Thailand, there are landmines like you wouldn’t believe,” Johnson said in an interview with The Atlantic.

Bravely venturing to Burma equipped with two 3D printed prosthetic arms, Johnson donated the artificial limbs and had the two lucky patients feeling comfortable within half an hour.

It’s not all blue skies, however, as Johnson points out that the main issue with 3D printed limbs lies in the attachment.  It must successfully connect to both soft tissue and bone without damaging either, whilst providing an adequate range of motion for the patient.  

Luckily, one of 3D printing’s many strengths can solve this problem. Due to the extreme level of detail 3D scanners and printers can achieve, a full scan of a patient’s intact limb would result in a precise 3D replica – one that post-print would be expected to be an exact fit on the damaged limb.

A prime example of an artificial 3D printed limb is the ‘Jaipurknee’. Pictured in the image above, the Jaipurknee claims to be one-tenth the cost of a traditional polycentric knee joint and is built to last between 3-5 years. 

With 3D printers firing on all cylinders across the globe, the number of amputees could be drastically reduced within the coming years, as people gain access to cheaper, more efficient means of limb replacement. 

The team behind Malta 3D Printing have nothing but respect for these life-changing inventions.