One builder showcases custom-built photobioreactor from start to finish, having printed the majority of its components on a conventional 3D printer sitting on a work surface. The final machine simply sits there silently day after day, converting water and light into useable biomass without the need for anyone to pay attention to it.
One developer modified a popular 3D slicing tool, allowing conventional 3D printers to spew out items in a variety of colors from just four spools. To do this, the software divides the item into extremely thin layers and then determines the exact pattern to mix and match these layers to achieve the required hue. Users select a color, and the software performs the rest, determining the optimal sequence and layer ratio to ensure the color is visible throughout the print.
James from ProjectAir set out to build the world’s largest remote-controlled submarine. His finished machine was an impressive 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) long and made extensive use of 3D printing, with the body, fins, propeller, and structural pieces all created using it. You don’t have to be an expert in underwater boat construction to understand how much is at stake: one failure and that pricey toy is resting at the bottom of a lake, with no easy means to retrieve it. James was well aware of the risk, so he began with a much smaller prototype to test every single mechanism before going on to the final product.
Soiboi Soft set out to build a four-digit display out of nothing but air pressure. The finished product is an impressive design, with 3D printed pieces and ultra thin silicone sheets, without cables running directly to the section. Instead, vacuum lines pull on flexible membranes to create luminous bars, which remain in place long after the signal is turned off.
Daniel Riley set out to tackle an issue that had been plaguing him: what if you built a drone with propeller blades a mile longer than regular models? His design features 41-inch blades that reach from tip to tip and spin at a steady 350 to 500 revolutions per minute, a far cry from the tiny, high-speed propellers seen on nearly every commercial drone on the market.
Product designer Matty Benedetto discovered some clips of passengers stranded in airport security lines and clogged airport terminals. He determined that his next trip needed to be less of a nightmare, so he set out to design a carry-on suitcase that would make the entire experience a little less stressful. More specifically, he decided to create one from scratch using his 3D printers.
Years of steady usage and exposure to the elements have taken a toll on Japanese railway stations, making replacement a headache. Finding competent contractors is difficult, and construction wages are high. Serendix collaborated with ABB to help JR West restore a historic wooden shelter from 1948 at a station in Wakayama Prefecture. This site, a true relic, was only frequented by around 270 visitors every day in a tiny coastal village near Arida that few people had ever heard of.
People are constantly pushing the boundaries of 3D printing, but shoes have long been the holy grail, or rather the holy nightmare, of the technology. They must be able to bend with each step, provide traction on a variety of surfaces, and withstand regular use without falling apart at the seams. DaveRig Design took on this exact task in a recent project, resulting in a pair of casual shoes that look and feel right at home on the street.
Inventor James Bruton has spent years creating machines that stop people in their tracks with their sheer size and complexity, but his most recent effort takes a very different approach. He’s built a robot dog that anyone can make in their own workshop with simple equipment and off-the-shelf parts.
An old Macintosh SE motherboard was sitting in a workshop gathering dust when its owner had a change of heart. Flipping through some early 90s magazines and a book that This Does Not Compute had held onto for decades, he found himself reading about mail order Mac builds that hobbyists had been quietly assembling from catalog parts, earning the nickname Cat Macs for exactly that reason. They offered a way to get into Apple hardware without paying full retail, and the idea stuck with him. This time around he would do something similar, but with a 3D printer doing the heavy lifting.