Page 10 - the NOISE July 2014

3d printing: hands and pizza and guns – oh my!
story by cindy cole
story by icindy cole
t seems that advances in technology are
happening more quickly every day. Things that seemed impossible just a few years ago are now part of everyday life. Phones you can carry around in your pocket, electric cars and video conferencing are commonplace. And even passenger flights into space, once thought to be just a sci-fi fantasy, may be just around the corner ― Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic airline is scheduled to have its first public flight sometime this year.
Some technology does, however, take a little more time to develop. The ability to “print” three dimensional objects was first developed in 1983 by Chuck Hull, the same
year we were introduced to CDs and cam- corders. Today, 3D printing has been used to create everything from children’s toys and candy to prosthetic limbs and deadly weap- ons. Progress made in just the last few years is setting the stage for more rapid engineer- ing advances, regulatory nightmares, and turf wars.
As with almost any technological advance, there are always some cons to go along with all the pros. With 3D printing getting closer to becoming a consumer reality, there are several issues that have come to the fore- front to be considered. Just a few years ago, a basic 3D Printer would have set you back around $15,000. Now, you can buy a basic one for under $1000 and even more afford- able and versatile machines are on their way.
3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing (AM). Wikipedia defines AM as ”any of various processes of making a three-dimensional object from a 3D mod- el or other electronic data source primarily through additive processes in which succes- sive layers of material are laid down under computer control.”
In 2011, Richard Van As of Johannesburg, South Africa was working with a table saw and accidentally cut off two of his fingers. He quickly realized that prosthetics priced at thousands of dollars were not within his fi- nancial means. So he began to explore alter- natives and rigged himself an artificial index finger with things he found around his shop.
Then, as he searched online for better solu- tions, he came across Ivan Owen, a special effects artist who lived halfway around the globe in Bellingham, Washington. In a You- Tube video, Mr. Owen was demonstrating a large mechanical hand he had created for a puppet. Mr. Van As contacted Mr. Owen and they began collaborating on a solution.
While the two men met in South Africa, Mr. Owen was contacted by a woman whose 5-year-old son was born without fingers on his right hand due to a congenital birth de- fect. Messrs. Owen and Van As got to work for the boy right away. Once a mechanical hand with aluminum fingers was created for the boy, who was delighted to be able to make the fingers move and open and close the fist, Mr. Owen got the idea the design might be turned into 3D printable parts. He contacted MakerBot, one of the first 3D printer manufacturers.
MakerBot jumped on board and sent 3D printers to both Mr. Owen and Mr. Van As. Only days later the boy’s clunky metal hand was replaced by a sleek 3D printed version. The design file for “Robohand” was posted at Thingiverse.com, MakerBot’s open-source file sharing site, deliberating placing it in the public domain. It has since been used to cre- ate prosthetics for others in need at a frac- tion of the cost of traditional devices. The newest version of the design is said to cost about $5 to produce.
In April 2012, Time Magazine ran a story about a 14-year old boy who had lost his lower arms and hands during a bombing in Sudan. Daniel Omar was so traumatized by his injuries that he told Time reporter Alex Perry that “If I could have died, I would have.” His story was read by Mick Ebeling of Not Impossible Labs whose mission is to solve daunting healthcare problems with inexpen- sive, open-source technology.
Mr. Ebeling launched Project Daniel and set up a facility at a hospital in Sudan where he met Daniel in person. By November 2013, Mr. Ebeling had used a consumer-grade 3D printer to create a prosthetic arm for Daniel. It took about six hours for the arm to print and cost about $100. With his new arm, Dan-
iel was able to feed himself for the first time in two years.
The technology for developing better ar- tificial limbs is rapidly improving. The first limbs are not capable of carrying much weight, don’t have precise fingers controls, and may need additional parts for holding things like utensils and pens. But for people like Daniel and a host of other war refu- gees who have since received their own 3D printed arms, the plastic parts are a vast im- provement over their battle-ravaged bodies. Mr. Ebeling left behind the printers, laptops and other supplies needed to continue the printing processes after teaching Daniel and other locals how to operate it all. Project Daniel now prints an artificial arm at least once a week for injured Sudanese refugees.
The newest development in printed body parts is bioprinting. One process uses 3D printed injectable molds that are filled with gels made from living cells to create body parts. In February 2013, doctors and bioen- gineers at Cornell University produced an artificial ear that looks, feels, and functions like a real one. Scientists have so far success- fully printed skin, bones, blood vessels and kidneys with this technology. It is hoped in the very near future things like perfectly matched skin grafts and functional kidneys will be able to be 3D printed when needed.
Outside the medical arena, there are nu- merous other 3D printing applications that are being developed. In November 2010, the first 3D printed car, Urbee, was unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Associa- tion (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. It was made largely from 3D printed parts. Kor Ecologic is currently using crowd-funding to raise funds to create and test a refined version of the original vehicle, Urbee 2. They hope to have a street legal version of the vehicle to take on a cross-country test drive within the next two to three years.
Urbee 2 will weigh around 1200 pounds and be capable of speeds up to 70 mph. It will be hybrid powered with a combination of bio-deisel or ethanol fuel and battery power. One of the most important features to Kor is the car be environmentally friendly
photo by greg haskings
photo by vance White
to build. Factories to produce the 3D printed vehicles will be inexpensive to build and run and produce less pollution and waste than traditional auto manufacturing plants. In ad- dition, consumers would be able to produce replacement parts with their own 3D print- ers, saving on maintenance costs.
In the world of fashion, burlesque model Dita Von Teese donned the first full length 3D printed gown at a gala in New York City in March 2013. The gown, designed by Michael Schmidt and 3D modeled by architect Fran- cis Bitonti, was printed in nylon then dyed, lacquered and decorated with more than
13,000 Swarovski crystals. The form fitting garment was tailored to fit the model’s exact measurements. It was printed by Shape- ways, a 3D printing marketplace where de- signers can bring their ideas to reality in a multitude of materials with prices starting around 35¢ per cubic centimeter. The ability to 3D print in a greater variety of materials, including metals and edible ingredients, is rapidly expanding.
3D printed food is becoming all the rage, too. The Chefjet 3D Printers by 3D Systems are capable of producing several different types of edible confections. In January, 3D Systems announced a deal with Hershey to explore the possibilities of creating 3D print- ed treats for the chocolate company. NASA has been exploring 3D printing options for use by astronauts in space allowing them to customize and create their food on demand while orbiting the earth. Last year the space agency entered into a contract with a pri- vate mechanical engineering company to produce a 3D printer than can make pizza. Rather than being able to work with only one material at a time, the pizza printer has several cartridges that can be used simulta- neously and contain the different elements required for the finished product like dough, sauce, and cheese.
Natural Machine’s Foodini is set to launch later this year and is capable of printing sev- eral different kinds of foods including pastas, burgers, quiche, pizza, cookies, crackers, and chocolates. In its early stages, it may not be much of a time-saver for the average family
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