Meet Atom.

Image courtesy of Objet Geometries

He’s a robot that stars alongside Hugh Jackman in the sci-fi flick Real Steel, a movie about robot boxing (think Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots). Atom shown here isn’t the same one co-starring in the film. No this is his final concept model, roughly 1/5^th his actual size and made of plastic, not steel. That’s because Atom, along with the 26 other robots used throughout the film, was first built using Objet’s 3D printing technology to save time and money during production.

To make the robots look as real as possible, especially in the all-important fight scenes, filmmakers commissioned Legacy Effects to build animatronic models with motion capture technology. But first, 3D printing helped quickly bring production designer Tom Meyer’s robot designs to life. This not only helped move the robots from concept to full-sized production quickly (yes, there are actual 8-foot tall robots used in the film), but it helped the studio get the film to theaters faster and cheaper.

One technology that’s playing an increasing role in architectural design is 3D printing. And 3D printing is becoming more mainstream, too. Evidence of both these claims can be seen on PBS’ upcoming season of “This Old House,” where a 3D-printed model will help communicate renovation plans on the historic Massachusetts homestead formerly owned by Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Page.

The detailed 14-piece scale model measures 28 x 21 x 9-in. It was printed on a Z Corp. multicolor ZPrinter and can be assembled to depict the home, which was built in 1687, as it stands now as well as what it’s projected to look like after the renovations. “The designers, contractors, viewers and homeowners get a much clearer image of the project than they could through 2D plans and conversation alone,” says Dan Quaile, project architect. The house, perhaps not coincidentally, is owned by Joe Titlow, Z Corp.’s VP of Product Management.

Here’s a look at the before and after models:

The model is slated to be featured in the Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 episodes of the program. Check your local listings by clicking here.

Although designers and engineers have been knocking off nature since the days of Daedalus, not all designers go the “let’s use bird wings to fly” approach. Some go to places that many may not even think about.

Case in point: the Eastgate Shopping Center in Zimbabwe. It was inspired by termite mounds.

According to a report in Wired Science: “The inside of a termite mound stays at near-constant temperature and humidity, no matter how wet, dry, scorching or freezing it might be outside. To do this, termites open and close a series of heating and cooling vents throughout the day.”

The shopping center was designed accordingly and is said to use 90% less energy than comparatively sized buildings.

For more on architectural developments, check out the September-October issue of Time Compression.

David Munson, owner of Munson3D.com, an architectural visualization company, has created a tribute to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, by documenting the totality of the events in a three-piece scale model of lower Manhattan. The model, which he calls “WTC Triptych,” details the cityscape before and after the attacks, as well as what the area will look like when the new World Trade Center buildings are completed come 2013.

The stirring and comprehensive set of models was created via 3D printing.

Munson used 2D satellite images, photographs and 3D models as reference materials to design the cityscapes. Then he used Autodesk CAD software, Google SketchUp and Adobe Photoshop to digitally render lower Manhattan. He then additively built the three models, each 17 x 17-in., on Z Corp.’s Spectrum Z510 full-color 3D printer.

WTC Triptych is now on display at the New York City Fire Museum, to mark the 10^th anniversary of 9/11.

We’ve written about the social networking product development site Quirky.com here before, and now the company has gone from the stuff of blogs to almost-Hollywood. Starting tonight at 10 p.m. (EST) you can see for yourself how the company takes submitted product ideas from concept to production in the Sundance Channel’s new six-episode TV series, “Quirky.”

As the Sundance Channel describes it: “Each episode, the Quirky team of design and fabrication geniuses select two product ideas submitted by their online community that seek to solve everyday problems. As the clock counts down, the hopeful inventors are guided through the high-stakes world of innovation from simple sketch to working prototype.”

Here’s a sneak peek:

Not as brutal as being voted off the island or not getting the rose, but perhaps no less devastating to the losers.

No word if any of the Kardashians will be appearing on any of the episodes.