Over the summer, Mouser Electronics and engineer Grant Imahara (whom you may recognize from Mythbusters) launched a challenge for designing 3D printed tools which could be printed aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Sponsored by Intel, Made in Space, and others, the 3D printing challenge invited makers from all walks of life to create original and innovative tools which could be used by astronauts in space. Now, a month after the contest’s deadline, the winners of t

According to a report from P&S Market Research, North America holds the largest share in the global 3D bioprinting market, which was valued at almost $100 million in 2015. The global market is expected grow at a CAGR of 35.9% between 2016 and 2022. The medical sector and its millions of patients suffering from a major problem: there is a massive imbalance between the number of people waiting for critical organ transplants and the number of donated organs actually available. S

A heating power plant near Berlin, Germany is pioneering the use of 3D printed parts in its operations and has so far demonstrated promising results. Just over a year ago, the Berlin Mitte power plant, operated by Swedish power company Vattenfall, began integrating 3D printing technology into its processes through the implementation of 3D printed first-stage heat shields and first-stage vanes in its GE natural gas turbine. The 3D printed parts have not only been manufactured

Researchers at NASA and Stanford University are trying to 3D print cell clusters that can produce non-living structural biomaterials like bone minerals, tooth enamel and wood. The team says they are on track to prove their concept by October of this year. The team is lead by Lynn Rothchild, an evolutionary biologist who works for NASA and teaches astrobiology at Stanford. Diana Gentry is a doctoral candidate trained in biology mechanical engineering; Rothchild and Gentry have

3D printing is doing much to improve the quality of implant surgeries already, but even most 3D printed implants cause significant discomfort and will erode over time. But as a new study by McGill University professor Damiano Pasini revealed, that could be down to material conventions. Rather than relying on very solid materials, Pasini has developed a very porous 3D printed femoral stem implant that resembles the porousness of actual bone and ‘tricks’ the remaining host bone

While we are huge supporters of all kinds of medical 3D printing applications, nothing is quite as heartwarming as seeing 3D printed prosthetics that give kids a chance at a normal life. Of course people of all ages are benefiting 3D printed customized prosthetics, but especially kids can use a boost to their self-esteem. While kids with missing limbs are often singled out for ridicule (in some societies even ostracized), 3D printing makes it possible to not just restore thei

Though 3D printed medical devices often play a very important medical role and can greatly improve the lives of patients of all ages, they usually also have an additional role in young patients: to restore some of their confidence and help them live a life that is as normal as possible. A 3D printed hand prosthesis can quickly make a boy without a hand cooler than his classmates, and do wonders for his self-esteem. UNYQ is now doing the same for young girls and teenagers suff

Remember Tend.ai? Back in June, this startup unveiled a concept that could bring 3D printing into mainstream manufacturing. While currently used 3D printing farms rely on a complicated logistic and very labor-intensive process, Tend.ai is streamlining the entire farm concept with a versatile robot arm that can automatically operate a dozen or more 3D printers, laser cutters and other modern workshop tools. The promising startup has just raised $2 million (from True Ventures)

22-year-old Jawwad Patel, an engineering student from Hyderabad, India, has developed a 3D printed self-filling water device that can turn humid air into around 1.8 liters of water in just one hour. Patel has been working on various inventions and electronics since the age of 10. Read the full article here: http://www.3ders.org//articles/20161107-incredible-3d-printed-gadget-turns-air-into-drinking-water.html

Trimble, developer of popular 3D modeling program SketchUp, has just released SketchUp Viewer, a new app that can be used with Microsoft’s HoloLens that allows users to not only visualize their 3D models, but to see them within a real-world context and in full scale. The app, geared towards the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) industries, has the potential to reduce the need for building physical scale models for visualization purposes and could h