3D Printing

MakerBot, the Brooklyn-based company that makes a variety of desktop 3D printers, accessories and associated software, announced a new plan on Wednesday designed to put one of its signature devices into every school in America. Called the “MakerBot Academy,” the new effort relies on DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding website designed specifically for budget-strapped teachers, which lets Continue Reading →

McDonalds is considering whether 3D printers could be used in its stores to produce the pocket-sized toys which are a key part of their Happy Meals. The burger corp’s UK IT director, Mark Fabes, said he was looking at potential applications of 3d printing – and one was whether it could be used to produce Continue Reading →

Kids are just the best. And dads who love their kids make them even better. Leon is a boy who was born without fingers on one of his hands. Instead of making him think he was different, his father Paul McCarthy made him believe he was special. In fact, McCarthy made a prosthetic hand with Continue Reading →

Prosthetic limbs traditionally cost many thousands of dollars, doubling the pain of people who have already suffered enough. But several projects are showing how it’s possible to produce artificial arms and legs for less. A while ago, we wrote about a couple of guys who got together over the Internet to build themselves a bionic Continue Reading →

The horse, dubbed by researchers as ‘Titanium Prints’, had its hooves scanned with a handheld 3D scanner this week. Using 3D modelling software, the scan was used to design the perfect fitting, lightweight racing shoe and four customised shoes were printed within only a few hours. Traditionally made from aluminium, a horseshoe can weigh up to Continue Reading →

Do you hate brushing your teeth? A new company called Blizzident has begun creating custom 3D-printed toothbrushes that cut your brushing time from 2 minutes all the way down to 6 seconds. So how’s it work? After popping the very strange-looking toothbrush into your mouth, you bite down and make chewing motions. The toothbrush’s bristles Continue Reading →

If you had a choice between spending 2 minutes or 6 seconds brushing your teeth, you would probably go with the faster method. The Blizzident custom 3D-printed toothbrush is a bizarre-looking toothbrush alternative that promises a 6-second scrub of your pearly whites. There is no one-size-fits-all Blizzident. Each one is custom-made to fit an individual’s Continue Reading →

A turntable! Lasers! MakerBot opened preorders for its Digitizer 3D scanner today,  revealing it will cost $1,400 and ship in mid-October. Objects are placed on a rotating turntable. The scanner uses a camera and two laser to generate hundreds of thousands of data points that are turned into a 3D digital file. The entire process Continue Reading →

In June 2014, astronauts whizzing by high above us in the International Space Station may be able to print a highly detailed plastic Yoda head or, barring that, important parts that they may need while in orbit. NASA has already designed and built their own additive manufacturing printer that has a build envelope of about Continue Reading →

While the cost of 3D printers is dropping all the time, buying one is still a pretty significant financial investment, especially if you don’t have a lot of wiggle room in your budget. But if you’ve been thinking about buying a 3D printer, a new study suggests: yeah, you probably should. Researchers at Michigan Technological Continue Reading →