I am a self-confessed Star Trek geek (not a Trekkie mind you) but a bona fide fan. So when real life starts to imitate life aboard the Enterprise I get very excited. I had the privilege of touring one of the prominent companies in this rapidly growing field of 3D printing, 3D Systems in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The first thing you will notice is the versatility of this technology. They have the capability of creating items of great complexity on a desktop model as well things like motorcycle parts in their larger machines. And they are created one mico-layer at a time.

Shane Richmond of the “The Telegraph” stated in a recent article, “3D printing: the technology that could re-shape the world” (sic), since the printers are getting cheaper we may soon see the general public creating their own consumer goods - right in their own homes. Can you imagine?

The only difference between what 3D Systems can make and Star Trek is that it doesn’t happen instantaneously….yet….
 

Autodesk is amping up its commitment to the Maker community through its introduction of two new applications for its Autodesk 123D software—apps that allow creating 3D models based on photos, whether taken with a smart phone or an SLR camera.

“Today’s DIYers need a range of cutting-edge 3D tools to make the most of the artistic and economic opportunities in the emerging maker movement,” said Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products at Autodesk. “Autodesk is committed to removing obstacles to creativity and innovation in this time of the new industrial revolution.”

The apps are 123D Catch, for Windows-based systems, and 123D Make, for Mac OS. For now.

With 123D Catch, a user takes between 40 and 60 photos of a real-life object, making sure all angles are captured. The photos can be taken on any type of camera, as long as they can be uploaded to Autodesk’s cloud-based server. Within a few minutes of uploading, the photos are analyzed and a 3D model of the object is created and returned to the user.

123D Make lets a wannabe Rodin use the image to see what it would look like as an actual 3D model created with layers of a flat material like cardboard. The user can then print flat stackable pieces that have an interlocking framework and assemble the model themselves. For a fee, Autodesk will do the printing and even number each piece to make assembly easier.

If piecing together sliced layers of cardboard is a little too do it yourself, users still have the option to send the model to companies like Sculpteo or Shapeways and have them create the object.

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.

While eyeglass frames are designed by designers, the classic hearing aid—that flesh-colored aural suppository—seems to have been designed by—well, not a designer. And with the stigma surrounding the often-bulky old-school variety of devices, many people who need everyday assistance to hear, end up going without. Hearing aid developer Starkey Laboratories recognized this void in the market and looked to the folks at product innovation consultancy firm Karten Design to create an exterior for its hearing aid technology that would not only be functional, but also “beautiful in the hand and invisible behind the ear.”

Knowing that the typical flesh-toned hearing aids don’t often blend with a wearer’s skin—to put it mildly—the designers used Luxion KeyShot rendering software to perform a digital color study to find a finish that doesn’t match skin tone, but instead acts as a camouflage. Eric Olson, director of design at Karten explains: “We did a thorough study into what colors and what types of finishes blend the best with hair and skin. We narrowed the options down to several multi-tone metallic finishes, which would pick up the naturally occurring highlights in the hair and complement skin tone.”

Finding the perfect finish wasn’t the only challenge for the designers; the form of the device also had to be spot-on. Olson stresses that just because the hearing aid is less than an inch high, the design process wasn’t any simpler. In fact, the designers relied on an automotive-style rendering process when constructing the device’s finish palette, its sculpted profile, and to evaluate the manufacturing feasibility of its small details prior to engineering. The process resulted in a stylish design with complex surfacing that could easily be mistaken for a trendy wireless communication gadget.

In addition to the smooth and sleek surface, the curved spine of the hearing aid features capacitive controls which, like a touch screen on a smart phone, only require the swipe of a finger to adjust the volume – faster and easier than messing with tiny buttons and small dials.

Although the designs of many household solar panels are such that installation requires the skills of full-blown professionals, 3M has developed a see-through solar film that changes not only the idea of what solar panels look like, but also how they are installed. Because the film was designed to easily be affixed to a home’s windows, the product lets homeowners do the job that might otherwise require the experience of Bob Vila to get done—especially in cases requiring climbing on top of one’s roof. What’s more 3M’s translucent panels generate electricity and block about 80% of the sun’s visible rays, without blocking a homeowner’s view. Currently on display at the CEATEC electronics conference in Japan, 3M says the film will go on sale next year.

Made from an organic photovoltaic material that is printed in sheets, the narrow green panels are arrayed in patches and glued to the outside of a window (as the maker of products like Scotch Tape and Super Glue, 3M knows a thing or two about adhesives) to generate power and act as a shade on hot days.

While the sleek appearance, do-it-yourself installation, and energy savings are positives, a downside of the product is that it can only generate about 20% of the electricity that a traditional silicon solar panel does. Under peak sunlight conditions, a square meter of the film can generate about 5 volts at 7 watts of electricity – or enough to charge a smart phone.

The company hasn’t established a final price for the product, but estimates it will cost about half as much as traditional panels. Which is certainly an upside.