Rapid Ready Roundup: Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, MakerBot, 3D Medical and Zelda
In the course of my diligent efforts to keep you good people up to date on the state of additive manufacturing (AM), I come across many interesting news items. I’ll gather them up every so often and present them in a Rapid Ready Roundup (like this one). You can find the last Roundup here.
Let’s start this Roundup with an update from the US government about its manufacturing initiative. Apparently NAMII has been considered a success, as the White House has announced the launch of competitions for three new manufacturing innovation institute sites. This represents $200 million in additional funding for the project and President Obama has continued to call for congress to approve the investment of $1 billion to complete 15 sites nationally. Continue reading
Leonar3Do Brings Virtual Reality to 3D Design
Designers and engineers have a number of different options when it comes to developing a product. Commonly employed methods include creating a CAD file or scanning an existing object with a 3D scanner to compile a CAD file. Both of these options take a three dimensional object and render it in two dimensions, operating within the limits of standard technology.
Leonar3Do, a Hungarian startup, is ready to offer a different approach to 3D design by allowing people to actually design in 3D. The company’s proprietary technology uses imaging glasses and a stylus called the “Bird” as part of a virtual reality (VR) design space that creates objects in 3D. Continue reading
The 3D Printer Experience Opens in Chicago
Rather than being hidden away in back rooms or the depths of the production floor, 3D printers are making their way into the light of public consciousness, and possibly into your living room. The number of additive manufacturing (AM) systems available to home users has never been higher, with each new product jostling with the likes of MakerBot or 3D Systems’ Cube for each hobbyist dollar.
While everyday consumers are becoming more aware of the potential of AM, a 3D printer still isn’t something you see every day. Giving people a firsthand view of an AM system at work is the best way to further educate, and a number of stores specializing in 3D printers have begun to spring up. MakerBot has one in New York, 3D Creations has opened its doors in Milwaukee, and now Second City is getting The 3D Printer Experience. Continue reading
Rapid Ready Roundup: NAMII, Geomagic Design, a Word of Caution and GlaDOS
In the course of my diligent efforts to keep you good people up to date on the state of additive manufacturing (AM), I come across many interesting news items. I’ll gather them up every so often and present them in a Rapid Ready Roundup (like this one). You can find the last Roundup here.
We’ll start today’s Roundup with a NAMII update. Hot on the heels on a recent announcement that seven AM projects have received $4.5 million in funding from NAMII, comes news of further funding from the research and development center. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a member of NAMII, has been granted new funding to develop two different AM-related projects. Continue reading
Barobo Offers 3D Printed Robot Kit
At this point, I think it’s fair to claim that additive manufacturing (AM) is a transformative technology. AM allows companies freedom of design that would be impossible with other forms of manufacturing, and through companies like Shapeways, can democratize on-demand manufacturing.
Robotics was (and is) another transformative technology, and while the promise of a robot servant in every home hasn’t quite materialized, there can be no question the technology has changed the face of manufacturing. Given the generally modular nature of robots, it was only a matter of time before AM and robotics joined forces, and that time is at hand. Continue reading
