Turtle Get 3D Printed Beak & Jaw

I am fascinated by computer controlled CNC machine and the resulting 3d printers, so I really read through an article sent over by Spider Earth which details the construction of upper and lower beak parts for a loggerhead turtle.

The 100 pound sea turtle was found after being mutilated in a boating collision.  Mutilation is rather a weak description for the damage done to the turtle's head and beak.   The damage was bad enough that it could never have been released and hand feeding for the rest of it's life was all it had.

Enter BTech Innovation, a company that "prints" medical implants.  BTech's CEO, learning of the turtle's plight, agreed to print parts that would emulate the turtle's beak and jaw, plus the device looks awsome!

Almost Sounds Like a Zombie Wedding!

There is an old tradition that not to many engaged couples practice just before marriage. 

It used to be highly popular for the bride and groom to be, to exchange small trinkets or gifts, now for the most part, these "gifts" take the form of wedding rings.  

I read an article where one groom took this tradition to a higher level.  As Michael Mack said recently on his blog:  "I wanted a special gift for my wife on our wedding day," 

It seems both of the soon to be newly weds  are neuro-scientists  at the University of Texas at Austin, studying human memory.

Michael had a 3D printing company,  print a  model of his brain using a scan he had done earlier.  He then put it in a jar, wrapped it up and sent it to her. 

Her maid of honor said that when his wife to be received the gift she exclaimed "Is this his brain? OMG!  Michael reported on his blog that she love the gift.

Read the complete c/net article HERE

Doctorow's Story 'Print Crime' a Little Closer To Reality Now

Doctorow's Story 'Print Crime' is indeed one step closer to reality with the advent of Dremel's new 3d printer.

Print Crime was a chilling short story that involved 3d printers and copy-write  laws.  Sounds pretty dry doesn't it; well believe it or not it is a completely involving story with fast action to boot.

The premise concerns 3d printers.  In Cory's future world, the components for 3d printers have vastly declined (I am not going to a spoiler so I suggest finding and reading the story for HOW that happened) this give people the ability to print just about anything, which brings them in direct conflict with copywrite trolls which have managed to make a 3d print of anything an illegal act which is treated by the police much as drug purveyors are now handled.

So you see when I hear about 3d printer with a price bread under 1000 - I was instantly reminded of Cory's story.

Imagine if in the future you might not actually buy a product, but the code to print this product.  It is perfectly possible if the printers make enough of an inroad into the public's notion of what is being purchased.  You might just get a disk or coded email, instead of an actual product.   Doctorow explored all of these factors and a few not mention (no spoiler)

The printer in question is the Dremel 3D Idea Builder.

Prosthetics 'n aesthetics

If you are a user of any prosthetic device or know someone who is, you know that said device is often wonderful in its' utilitarian function but woefully lacking in anything that could be described as an aesthetically pleasing prosthetic.   This was made evident to Evan Kuester a university student who at best would describe his studies as boring.  The only redeeming feature was his access to fascinating tools one of which was an excellent 3d printer.  

 Evan had noticed  fellow student Ivania Castilloon had no left hand.  Evan then set to convince Ivania that he could produce a functional prosthetic but one that could be pleasing to the eye as well. 

After many pictures, measurements and prototypes Evan and Ivania settled on a prosthetic constructed of a single print, with ABS.  Evan hopes that his next prototype will be able to better integrate functionality with aesthetics ( his first outing leaned towards usability but was heavy and bulky, his second was lighter but frail).   There is no doubt that looks are addressed in this version.  It is wonderful to look at. 

Check out the complete article on Make HERE   

NASA Tests Revolutionary New Rocket Engine Component

On Aug. 22 NASA fired a new rocket engine that in many ways a milestone for one of many important advances the agency is making to reduce the cost of space hardware.  

The engine in question was capable of generating a record setting 20,000 pounds of thrust. which in many ways was 10 times more thrust than many previous components were able to deliver before.  

One component in particular that NASA was monitoring was a special injector that was responsible for delivering propellants to the engine's combustion chamber.  

The test injector passed with flying colors which caused a great deal of excitement.  The reason for the interest was the process by which the injector was manufactured.  The innovating process is called additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing which is hoped to bring about new and more cost-effective manufacturing processes in the agency.  

From the Article:

• The component was manufactured using selective laser melting. This method built up layers of nickel-chromium alloy powder to make the complex, subscale injector with its 28 elements for channeling and mixing propellants. The part was similar in size to injectors that power small rocket engines. It was similar in design to injectors for large engines, such as the RS-25 engine that will power NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for deep space human missions to an asteroid and Mars.

Pic is of a Shuttle rs-25 main engine being test fired. 

full article here

3d Vesta flyover from Dawn Spacecraft

Here we go for the fans of 3d - From the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a short over-flight of the proto planet Vesta. This 3-D video incorporates images from the framing camera instrument aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft from July to August 2011. The images were obtained as Dawn approached Vesta and circled the giant asteroid during the mission's survey orbit phase. Survey orbit took place at an altitude of about 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers).

You will need red/green or blue 3d specs to see the film best. NASA lists a few sites but in truth I found the best deals on Ebay.








Embedded video from


NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology

Stunning San Fran Time Lapse Taken In 3D

As the author of the article says in DIY Photography, you don't often seen stop motion films, finished and ready to display but this is such a good piece of work, one can hardly blame them for showing it. And there is nothing saying you could not build the rig yourself anyway! Soooooooo.... Here, Peter Chang used an array of Canon 5D Mark IIs and motion control sliders to capture both indoors and outdoors time-lapse scenes in 3D. The page lists links to both 2d and the 3d work. The 3D is just fractionally off which makes portions seem a bit jarring, but for the most part it really is astounding.

Here is the YouTube 3d




click on the article title for the 2d version.

Converting WHAT to 3D !!?

Oh Tim, tell me it ain't so!!!

In the "urp I think I am going to lose my cookies" department, Tim Sayell sends me a link to a Yahoo entertainment article. From George Lucas himself - Lucasfilm is going to convert all six "Star Wars" films into 3D format. George plans on starting with The Phantom menace and then release another film once a year until the whole series is complete. This is to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the original "Star Wars" release. Though there hasn't been an exact release date for each movie.

My question is and has to be WHY? We have seen what the results have been when it comes to spur of the moment conversions. Offerings that are for all intents unwatchable! The last airbender didn't teach anyone anything?! How many times is Lucas going to squeeze this grape? Even in original release, the movie's audience shrank and the subsequent re-releases have done little to grown a substantial fan base. (now dont get me wrong, Star Wars fans are among the most loyal (flinch flinch) but it is a core group that has to admit that isn't growing at such a phenomenal rate that would make this project viable) The Avatar 3d project failed to wow me. It never for an instant convinced me that I was "IN" a real environment. I can't imagine an add on after the fact effect being worth the outlay.

Nope, I will pass here.

Yahoo article

3d Phobos photo!

The ESA spacecraft Mars Express took this and other stunning images of Mars' moon Phobos
on March 7 2010 using the on-board High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) .

With this photo, there are also several excellent high resolution and 3d pictures as well.

Check out the article on the ESA space science online site here

Can Spielberg do Ghost in the Shell right?

Ghost in the Shell, a classic anime cyberpunk flick from the 1990s, has mesmerized fans for years with its brutal-but-philosophical story of what happens to a woman's identity when she merges with technology on physical and psychological levels.

The movie version of Ghost in the Shell is set in the year 2029. The world has become intensively information oriented and humans are well-connected to the network.

Crime has developed into a sophisticated stage by hacking into the interactive network. To prevent this, Section 9 is formed. These are cyborgs with incredible strengths and abilities that can access any network on Earth.

That is pretty much how the animated series runs. The animated movie version stayed much the same course. However Steven Spielberg wants to do a live action 3d version and that has me worried, as it does others that have enjoyed the Ghost in the Shell universe.

The film blog Quiet Earth has a pretty good take on it here

And over on IO9 they are not even hedging their bets by asking the question Will Steven Spielberg Eviscerate "Ghost in the Shell"?

3-D Printers coming soon!

Do you remember Cory Doctorow's short story called Print Crime? I played it on the program a few weeks ago. The story set in the near future, told of tech that allowed anyone to "print" items that they wanted. Chemical, pharmacological and technological were all within the realm of possible. However on the flip side were insanely strict copyright laws. Which lead as you can imagine to a popular and violent gray and black market. As outrageous and futuristic as the story sounded, the tech itself is right around the corner. Such technology already exists and is maturing rapidly so that high-tech designers and others can share solid designs almost as quickly as sending a fax. The systems available are based on bath of liquid plastic which is solidified by laser light. The movements of the laser are controlled by a computer that reads a digitized 3D map of the solid object or design. Eventually this will allow the mainstream consumer to 3-D print equipment, whether that is plastic paperclips, teacups, or components that can be joined to make sophisticated devices, perhaps bolted together with printed nuts and bolts. Imagine if you will buying or otherwise obtaining a digital file representing a physical product electronically and then produce the object at a time and place convenient to them. And then imagine these files, like music or movie files, being made available on less than legit download sites. Yes, Print Crime is closer than we think!

Robot Scans Ancient Manuscript in 3-D

After a thousand years stuck on a dusty library shelf, the oldest copy of Homer's Iliad is about to go into digital circulation. A team of scholars traveled to a medieval library in Venice to create an ultra-precise 3-D copy of the ancient manuscript -- complete with every wrinkle, rip and imperfection -- using a laser scanner mounted on a robot arm. A high-resolution, 3-D copy of the entire 645-page parchment book, plus a searchable transcription, will be made available online under a Creative Commons license.

click here for complete story

Thanks to Shaun Saunders for post

3D object printer becoming a very real possibility!

Do you folks remember Cory Doctorow's story Print Crime that I ran a few weeks ago? Look it up and have a listen and then read this story....too damn close!!!!

Thanks Nelson for the heads up on this one!

In a few years, it will be possible to make these items yourself. You will be able to download three-dimensional plans online, then push Print. Hours later, a solid object will be ready to remove from your printer. Three-dimensional printers have been seen in industrial design shops for about a decade. They are used to test part designs for cars, airplanes and other products before they are sent to manufacturing. Once well over $100,000 each, such machines can now be had for $15,000. In the next two years, prices are expected to fall further, putting the printers in reach of small offices and even corner copy stores. The next frontier will be the home. One company that wants to be the first to deliver a 3-D printer for consumers is Desktop Factory, started by IdeaLab, a technology incubator here. The company will start selling its first printer for $4,995 this year. Three-dimensional printers, often called rapid prototypers, assemble objects out of an array of specks of material, just as traditional printers create images out of dots of ink or toner. They build models in a stack of very thin layers, each created by a liquid or powdered plastic that can be hardened in small spots by precisely applied heat, light or chemicals.