Human Liver Cells
Organovo, a company based in San Diego, has developed a bioprinting process that takes cells from donor organs and turns this into a printable bio-ink. Layers of cells are laid down in carefully calculated designs to build up small sections of liver tissue. The ability to print whole organs may still be in the future, but this is a step in the right direction. Read the full story here.
Houses
The first 3D-printed residential house was constructed in less than 24 hours in the suburbs of Moscow in March. The walls of the studio-like 400-square-foot home were printed using a mobile construction 3D-printer developed by Moscow-headquartered start-up Apis Cor. The company believes that 3D printing could make construction not only considerably faster but also more eco-friendly. Read the full story here.
Cheese
A team of researchers from the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork in Ireland used a mixture that's similar to the one used for making processed cheese and squirted it through a nozzle of a 3D printer to create a new kind of processed cheese! Read the full story here.
Prosthetic Limbs
Prosthetic limbs usually cost thousands of pounds to produce, but a trio of biomedical engineering students at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) managed to build a 13-year-old girl a robotic prosthetic arm using a 3-D printer. Incredibly, the robotic arm cost a meagre $200 to make. Read the full story here.
Space Tools
Space agencies typically load manned missions with a crazy number of spare parts to cover every imaginable contingency – at a launch cost of around $14,000 per kilogram! Now, companies are experimenting by sending up 3D printers to produce replacement tools in space. Read the full story here.
Artificial Eyes
A group of eye specialists and eye-care providers from the Netherlands has used 3D-printing technology to create artificial eye structures, called conformers, in a small study of five children. The technique could help children with conditions called microphthalmia and anophthalmia, in which they are born with underdeveloped or missing eyes. Read the full story here.
Robotic Lawn Mower
A German engineer has created an automated, robotic lawn mower that zips around your garden and cuts grass by itself. It’s compact, sturdy and looks to be remarkably effective. The DIY kit requires your own is a 3D printer, some basic electronics,and a downloadable instruction manual and STL files. Read the full story here.
‘Stronger than Titanium’ Bikes
The Arevo bicycle looks and feels like a high-end commuter bike, but it was made using 3D-printing technology and software. It's being hailed as the first truly 3D-printed bicycle. Read the full story here.
Did you know we supply a range of 3D printers for the classroom? Shop online or get in touch with the team today: 01920 824770.
Tilgear – Supplying Educational and Training Establishments for over 50 years.