Hello there, here is a collection of items that have caught my fancy this week
I like this photo because it reminds me of a toy castle play set. This kind of modular interlocking set of buildings could create a wide ranging variety of products that could be used to make individual play sets and enable secondary creation of objects like figurines to sell with them.



This is a drill which has been printed and while its not fully functional, the chuck turns and the trigger depresses. This is a good example of the possible future of creating complex items like tools or toys although this kind of holistic printing is quite a way off.




This image is of a city that has been modelled and printed in edible chocolate. Printing with food is an exciting glimpse of what may be possible in the future. Units that can print any type of food may be found in every kitchen in a few decades and would be able to create any kind of food by manipulating a source material into the right configuration and consistency.

This image is of a printed pizza. This is a interesting one as it uses more than one nozzle to be able to complete this. Multi nozzle machines are the next step form 3D printing enabling the creation more complex items. The only problem with this machine is the amount of clean up that would be required to keep it hygienic. You would need to flush out the lines after every use plus it would require a different kind of dough and sauce that may or may not be easier to produce than normal dough.


This ball was printed using titanium. Printing with metals is the cutting edge for 3D printing at the moment. It requires a high amount of accuracy to create reliable parts. The machines that print using titanium are very expensive as is the raw materials used in the process. It is hard to see this technology reaching the hobby user because of the expenses involved. The developments achieved however will filter down into the more accessible technology as time goes by.


This is an example of a real world use of 3D printing technology. It is a very useful medium for developing and creating items that conform and work with the human form, many prosthetics are made using this method. Combined with clever electronics, this hand can become a true extension of the body and function effectively.