3D Printing news round-up: October 2016
After a brief hiatus, our 3D printing news round-ups are back! 3D printing remains a technology on the brink of mainstream recognition, and there are signs that the tipping point is near. From around the world companies and hobbyists are using 3D printing to solve problems in a range of fields, including: biomedicine, architecture, military, clean energy, tabletop gaming and more.
Here are some of the most awesome stories to hit the news regarding 3D printing this month.
Amazon’s not so secret drone laboratory
The idyllic city of Cambridge is primarily known for its leading university, beautiful river and abundance of cyclists. However, it appears that Cambridge is now also home to Amazon’s drone laboratory. The Amazon experts are currently working on using 3D printing to create a drone that will be able to deliver 2kg packages in under 30 minutes. The drones will be able to function completely autonomously, and will be able to locate the right address, find appropriate landing spaces and take off and land as and when is necessary. Quite remarkable!
Worldwide demand for 3D printing doubles!
Once a niche market, the demand for 3D printing is now rising continuously. In recent news, it was announced that the worldwide shipment of 3D printers is forecast to grow by 108% in 2016, compared to figures from the previous year. Gartner, a leading technology research company states that this rise in demand is due to the great functional capabilities of 3D printing in creating prototypes, tools, fixtures and furnished goods. Interestingly, the highest rates of growth are occurring in North America and Western Europe, China is also a rapidly growing market.
A cure for baldness
Although many cures for baldness currently exist, there is no permanent cure which allows men to recover 100% of hair that they once had. Although hair transplants are more sophisticated than ever, patient’s typically need multiple procedures and still have to take a drug called Propecia in order to stop further hair loss from occurring.
It was recently announced that cosmetics company, L’Oreal, has been developing a cure for baldness which involves hair follicles being 3D printed onto the heads of balding men. 3D printers would deposit living biological tissue onto the patient’s head, and it would then be stimulated to grow via laser therapy. It’s well known that a permanent solution to hair loss would be a licence to print money, so let’s see if this arrives on the market in coming years.
The earphone sanctuary
There’s no denying that Apple’s new wireless headphones (known as Airpods) are really cool looking, but they are also notoriously easy to misplace. Fortunately, one 3D printing company that specialises in micro 3D printing, has developed an intriguingly designed Airpod bin. Although the aptly named M3D Twisty Earbud Catcher cannot be purchased in stores, the design has been uploaded to Thingiverse so 3D printing enthusiasts around the world can create their own version of the product for free. Now you never need misplace your expensive earphones again - hurray!
Tagged with: drones, baldness cure, amazon
