3D-printed decoy eggs are tracking down illegal wildlife traffickers
Kim Williams-Guillén became inspired to create decoy turtle eggs after watching a TV show called The Wire. In one episode, two police officers plant an audio device in a tennis ball to record a suspected drug dealer. Williams-Guillén had her "aha" moment while watching this, and was inspired to Read More...
Could we 3D-print buildings using local soil instead of concrete?
3D-printed architecture has been getting a lot of press from The Optimist Daily lately. Most recently, we shared a story out of Oakland where a startup called Mighty Buildings is using a 3D printer to create not only the walls and floors of a home but also other elements like the roof and ceiling. Read More...
Scientists 3D-printed terracotta tiles to restore degraded coral reefs
Like in many other parts of the world, coral presence in Hong Kong has suffered a significant decline in recent years, due to many pressing challenges, including rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, and pollution. This is troubling since coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable Read More...
Oakland-based startup is 3D-printing homes in 24 hours
We have previously written about a nonprofit called New Story that was building the world’s first 3D-printed neighborhood for impoverished people in Mexico. Now, we present to you a startup that is taking 3D-printing to another level when it comes to homebuilding. The startup, Mighty Buildings, Read More...
Lego-like 3D-printed biostructure helps heal injured bones
Lately, medical scientists have been increasingly tapping into the potential of 3D-printing technology to develop scaffolding-like biomaterials that can help heal bone injuries. A new one is claimed to be particularly versatile, as it’s inspired by Lego building blocks. Typically made of Read More...
Incredible: Scientists 3D print a heart pump that beats on its own
The possibilities of 3D printing seem to have no bound after scientists at the University of Minnesota managed to 3D print a human heart pump capable of beating on its own. The pump is just 1.5 centimeters long, but the researchers believe the tiny organoid could have a huge impact on efforts Read More...
Prague will soon be home to the first floating 3D-printed house
A group in the Czech Republic is building a 3D printed house, which, on its own, isn't anything we haven't seen before. What sets this house apart from the others, though, is its final destination: Prague's Vltava River. "I dare say it's the first-ever floating 3D printed building in the world," Read More...
New bio-ink allows for direct 3D printing tissues within the body
Although we're hearing more about the prospect of 3D-printed replacement body parts, those parts need to be implanted via relatively large incisions. That may not always be the case, however, thanks to a new "bio-ink" that could allow parts to be printed within the body. And while bio-inks are Read More...
Clothing company 3D-knits its pullovers to reduce waste during manufacturing
Mass production may be the cheapest way to manufacture clothing, but it also leaves behind an unsurmountable pile of waste. At the manufacturing level, a large amount of usable material is wasted due to fabric cut-offs during production and mass-produced clothing that often goes unsold. A Read More...
Ikea and McCann team up to make 3D-printed home furniture for the disabled
Eldar Yusupov is a Tel Aviv, Israel–based copywriter with cerebral palsy. In 2017 he happened to mention to his bosses at McCann that the low height of the office couch made it very difficult for him to get up. He liked the Ikea couch, and if it were just a few inches taller, he told them, he Read More...