Change Is Additive—Week of 8/12/16
CHANGE IS ADDITIVE—A 3D Printing News Series by Fathom
3D Printed Satellites, Paralympian Uses 3D Printing to Compete in Rio, 3D Printing Fossils, Phelps Takes Medal Stand in 3D Printed Shoes, 3D Printing Mars Colony Prototype
With so many weekly developments in a fast-changing industry like additive manufacturing, the headlines can really stack up. To cut through the clutter of 3D printing news, check out these staff picks of the week. What do you think is the most impactful development?
3D Printed Plastic Satellites in the Thermosphere
The QB50 project is about to launch 3D printed plastic satellites into the thermosphere. RAMSES (Rapid Manufacture of Space Exposed Structures) was 3D printed from high-grade thermoplastic. The satellite is intended to test its materials ability to handle the rigors of space and the particularly unwelcome environment of the thermosphere // Watch Video
First 3D Printed Cycling Prosthetic to Be Used in Competition in Rio
German Cyclist Denise Schindler partnered with Autodesk Product Designer Paul Sohi to develop a prosthetic limb that is entirely 3D printed, which Schindler will wear during competition in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games / / Watch Video
Future Mars City Prototypes to be 3D Printed in Mojave Desert
NASA and USC are sponsoring a large-scale Martian base workshop in September, which will bring together 25 finalists from the Mars City Design challenge and provide them with the means to improve their concepts. Among them are teams from MIT, Carnegie Mellon University and Ares Astronautics. Ultimately, the three best plans will be 3D printed in the Mojave desert, at the test area of the Reaction Research Society. Some of the most intriguing concepts include Neurosynthesis, which proposed a closed river system, Project Dandelion, which aimed to use the common Martian regolith soil as a source of oxygen and energy and the Vertical Farms concept which could maximize food output // Read More
3D Scanning and Printing Lead to Scientific Discovery About Homo Naledi
Rather than waiting years for archaeological information such as that of Homo naledi to arrive in detail, scientists can now use MorphoSource (a 3D scanning repository) to download and 3D print incredible replicas of fossils. Utilizing this system and on-campus 3D printing, a graduate student at Central Michigan University found compelling evidence that the Homo Naledi actually lived far closer to modern day than previously thought // Read More
Phelps Takes Medal Stand in Custom 3D Printed Shoes
Superlative Olympian Michael Phelps has already won a number of gold medals in the 2016 Rio games, but during his first ascension of the medal podium, Phelps donned customized shoes that were created with 3D printing. The shoes integrate a number of unique design elements, including his sons name and footprint.
Geometric Knot
This 3D geometric knot is designed to be printed using ABS and makes a great addition to any desk space / / Cults3D Page
Test Your 3D Printer
Make Magazines third annual 3D Printing Shootout was conducted using these files, created by Andreas Bastian to benchmark performance of desktop 3D printers. You can read all 26 machine reviews in Makes Annual Guide to 3D Printing 2015 (Volume 42) / / Thingiverse Page
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Imagery and News Sources: 3Ders.org, 3Dprint.com, 3D Printingindustry.com, Cults3D, LLNL, Under Armour, Wikipedia, Under Armour, Autodesk, Thingiverse, Central Michigan University, NASA, Mars City Design
