It’s only a matter of time before we start printing everything at home, including items we’ve just purchased online. For now, we can marvel at these five amazing objects and things created with these marvelous printers. To start, there’s the Iron Man Mark III helmet you see above. Continue reading for more.
5. 3D Printer
Yes, it’s true, someone has already designed a 3D printer that can print other 3D printers. Meet Boots Industries’ all-new BI V2.0 3D printer, which can produce parts of a clone that can be assembled in just 30-minutes. That’s right, you can actually 3D print, improve, and then share components, without having to go through such tricky steps as stringing the pulleys or wiring the towers.
4. Car
If you thought that the Tesla Model S was an incredible piece of automotive design and engineering, then you’ll be blown away by the Urbee. The entire body of this futuristic-looking gasoline and ethanol hybrid has been manufactured using 3D-printing technology. A collaborative design by Stratasys and Kor Ecologic, the Urbee is the first car ever to have its entire body printed using additive manufacturing processes.
3. Iron Man Helmet
Iron Man fan Ryan Brooks, who calls himself “the real Tony Stark,” has created a nifty 3D-printed Mark III helmet worthy of set time on the next movie installment. Utilizing an Arduino Pro Mini, and an Adafruit accelerometer, Brooks was able to rig the helmet’s faceplate to open and close based on which way the wearer nods. By nodding backwards, the faceplate seamlessly opens and locks into place, while nodding with a forward motion will close it.
2. Prosthetic Hand
Twelve-year-old Leon McCarthy was born without fingers on his left hand, but with some help from his dad, he can now draw, pick up food and hold a water bottle using a homemade prosthetic. That’s right, rather than paying tens of thousands of dollars for a factory-made prosthetic hand, father Paul McCarthy, decided to print one. He told FOX News that he found a YouTube video detailing the work of Ivan Owen, who used a 3D printer to create a prosthetic hand for a 5-year-old in 2011. Following in Owen’s footsteps, McCarthy used a 3D printer purchased for his son’s school and began working on the hand with his son.
1. Metal Gun
Introducing the world’s first 3D-printed metal gun. According to Solid Concepts, its chamber sees pressure above 20,000 psi every time it is fired, proving the material integrity provided by DMLS technology. The small components needed for the 1911 series gun proves DMLS can meet tolerances and accuracy. The company aims to change people’s perspective about what 3D printing can do.
