Designed by Ping-Hsun ‘penk’ Chen and Ruha Cheng, the open source RUHAcam digital camera is powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero W computer connected to a Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera module, which boasts a 12.3MP Sony IMX477 sensor. Other features include a 2.2-inch TFT display that functions as a viewfinder, a 2,000mAg Li-Pi battery, and a 3D-printed case inspired by retro-style SLR cameras. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Bart van Overbeeke
A Dutch couple, Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers, have moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house in Europe, which is located in the Bosrijk neighborhood of Eindhoven, Netherlands. This boulder-shaped, detached single-story home spans 94 square meters of living space, consisting of a spacious living room and two bedrooms. It boasts extra thick insulation and a connection to the heat grid to keep it comfortable and energy efficient year-round. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Inventor Henry Hanson wanted to create a trumpet unlike any other, and what he came up with was a block of concrete, literally. This fully-functional musical instrument was handcrafted from a single block of concrete, but the building process included several technologies that many are familiar with, including creating a virtual model and a 3D printer. Once a prototype was complete, finishing touches were added with wood and concrete. Read more for a video and additional information.
Yuto Kuroki, a mechanical engineer at Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan, and a team of researchers managed to modify a 3D printer head system to transform it into a 3-axis robotic manipulator. This gives the machine the ability to assemble various items, like toy cars and sandwiches, but unfortunately, there isn’t yet an extruder for condiments, so you’ll have to still add those manually. They first customized a low-cost fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer that can attach/detach printed end-effectors capable of changing the function of the 3D printer head (e.g. grab, break, and rotate printed objects). Read more for a video and additional information.
The Lexus IS Wax Edition, which is basically a modified 2021 Lexus IS sports sedan, is probably the world’s first and only with a fully functional turntable built into the dashboard capable of playing vinyl records. It was put together by legendary DJ and producer MC Madlib and chart-topping artist and producer KAYTRANADA to create a brand-new double-single on vinyl. The record player was created with a 3D printer and modified with carbon fiber as well as machined aluminum. Read more for a video and additional information.
Peter Northrop, CEO of 1016 Industries, recently debuted his company’s 3D-printed exposed carbon fiber body kit for the McLaren 720S, called “Vision”. Not entirely made of exposed carbon fiber, it has teal accents accentuating the body’s lines, while the actual 3D-printed parts include the inner bumper structures, aero ducts as well as the wing linkages. In all, they managed to shave 268-pounds off the vehicle when compared to the factory model. Read more for a video and additional pictures.
Palari Group and Mighty Buildings have officially announced the development of the world’s first community of 3D-printed zero net energy homes located in Rancho Mirage, California. A 5-acre parcel of land will be transformed into a planned community of 15 eco-friendly homes, built utilizing the 3D-printed panelized Mighty Kit system by Mighty Buildings, which eliminates 99% of construction waste, thanks to to the efficiency of operations with solar energy and weather-resistant materials. Read more for a video and additional information.
NASA’s Artemis Generation program challenges students to help solve problems, and this proposal from ten U.S. colleges and universities has created the world’s first 3D printed rocket pad for lunar missions. This innovative reusable prototype rocket landing and launch pad, called Lunar PAD, was 3D printed using a cement-based material extruded from ICON’s gantry print system at a Texas Military Department location in Camp Swift. Read more for a video and additional information.
Always wanted to make your own 3D holograms at home? Soon, you’ll be able to do just that with LitiHolo’s Desktop 3D Hologram Printer, the first of its kind. It works by taking multiple perspective images, captured from a camera, video footage, or rendered from a typical 3D graphics design, and separating them into unique recordings for each individual pixel on the hologram. These pixels are called “hogel” or “hologram element.” Read more for a video and additional information.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have developed an innovative high-speed 3D printing method that seems to be straight from a science fiction film, in which a machine dips into a shallow vat of translucent yellow goop that becomes a life-sized hand. This object would typically take six hours to create using conventional 3D printing methods, but this new method only requires a mere 19-minutes, demonstrating progress toward 3D-printed human tissue and organs. Read more for a short video demonstration and additional information.