Impressive 3D Figurines at Objet’s SIGGRAPH Booth
Hot on the heels of the first 3D printed plane across the pond, 3D printing company Objet impressed visitors to the SIGGRAPH convention in Vancouver this past week. Short for Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques, SIGGRAPH attracts many innovative and front-running firms in the graphic design field, and 3D printing is definitely the cool new tech-du-jour.
For those who don't know, 3D printing is the latest and greatest way to create solid objects from three-dimensional digital designs. A laser is used to turn a special type of powder into a solid, layer by layer. Because the layers are incredibly thin, you can even make objects with moving parts with little to no difficulty. The possible applications are quite endless, making 3D printing an emerging tech trend with enormous potential.
The Objet booth didn't have anything too practical in terms of examples of their work, instead choosing to display some of their coolest and most exceptional examples. Of note was a War Machine mask, a mini version of The Destroyer from the recent Thor film, and a Neytiri figurine from James Cameron's Avatar. They're all examples of work from Legacy Effects, "an award-winning, full-service character design, make-up, specialty prop and animatronic studio." It's just one of the companies that has adopted Objet's 3D printer technology to revolutionize their operations in the best possible way. Check out the source link for more pics and the Objet's press release.
Source: Engadget
3D Printing Set to Take Off From University of Southampton
Lately there's been a lot of hubbub around 3D printers. The idea has been around for a while, but it has been gaining a lot of public attention from appearances on television shows like Known Universe on the National Geographic Channel, and the Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
The concept is simpler to grasp than you might think when you hear "3D printer." Basically, a laser is fired at a powder that solidifies when burned, layer by layer, from top to bottom. In order to print an item, you need a 3D image, which can be designed from scratch, or copied from an existing object by scanning it with special devices that can an object down to within 40 microns (less than the width of a human hair) of its actual dimensions.
Known Universe had an episode that focused on the potential benefits that 3D printing would have in space, for replacing small parts for repairs, while the Colbert Report touched on 3D printer company Makerbot, which focuses more on the consumer market and miniature likeness of Steven Colbert with tentacles.
But researchers from the University of Southampton in England have proven another area where 3D printers excel - aeronautical engineering. In just one week, they designed and built a model airplane from scratch, tweaking designs and reprinting parts that didn't work or that they wanted to test out. Because 3D printing even works for objects with moving parts, everything fit together perfectly, too. Best of all? It's cheaper than other methods of design. Here's to hoping for some new and exotic aeronautical designs in the future with the help of 3D printers.
Check out the video below for a look at the plane's test flight.
Source: Engadget