Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re into 3D printable stuff, or into remote-control cars, then the OpenRC Project is for you. A gentleman in Sweden named Daniel Norée is sharing his progress on a 3D-printed Truggy, as well as sharing the recipe with the OpenRC Project group that he created. A truggy is an off-road vehicle, in case you weren’t sure.

The cost of 3D printers is dropping both for at-home use and enterprise, so it’s a very real possibility that consumers all over the world could soon have these devices in their living rooms. Crazier things have happened. We’ve seen 3D-printed iPhone docks, violins, pottery and even a robotic hand for a child.

If you can print out your very own customized remote-control car with one, count me in. While not all of the parts are printable, such as the wheels, for really die-hard remote control car fans, those are parts that they probably have sitting around in the garage already.

Here’s a video that Norée uploaded today that shows some of the schematics behind the parts, and the actual 3D-printing process using one of those fancy MakerBot Replicators:

The project has come a long way in the past few months; here’s a video of an earlier model breaking down:

I want one.

While this isn’t the only 3D-printed remote-control car out there, the advantage here is that you can follow the progress of the project on Google+ and join the discussion. If you’re ready to print one out, go here.

3D printing is certainly catching on in its very own manner, and scientists have managed to come up with a new kind of 3D printer which is capable of churning out material that resembles human tissues. This particularly unique substance is actually a deceptively simple network of water droplets that have been coated in lipids, and if it were to be further studied and improved, who knows, it could eventually be used to deliver drugs to the body. Of course, there is also the holy grail of 3D printing in the biomedical field, that is, to replace damaged tissue in living organs, which could eventually spell the end of certain kinds of cancer. Who knows what the future holds?

The creation of this synthetic tissue will comprise of lipid bilayers that separate droplets of water, which works in a rather similar manner as that of cell membranes, where it enables the body’s cells to mesh with their watery environments without getting the contents damaged. This new 3D printer will rely on a micropipette to squeeze out droplets in exact quantity to create such synthetic tissue.

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Its hardly a secret that doctors have experimented in the past with 3D printed prosthetics. For one man though, 3D printing became the only way to get his life back. Eric Moger had a surgery four years ago to remove a tumor, the size of a tennis ball, from the left side of this face. Removing the tumor meant removing the entire left side of the face as well. His looks weren’t the only thing that were compromised. Ever since the surgery he’s had tubes going directly in to his stomach for eating and drinking. One can’t even possibly imagine the agony that Eric must go through each day.

In what is being touted as the first procedure of its kind, doctors formed a digital blueprint of what his face should look like, based on CT and facial scans of the remainder of his skull. The facial prosthetic was then printed. It looks incredibly lifelike and fits perfectly. The procedure gave Eric his face, and his life back. He is now able to eat and drink normally again. Doctors hope that techniques will be developed which would allow printing in silicone. This is a major breakthrough and it definitely will make a lot of lives better.

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Slowly but surely, 3D printers are becoming more user-friendly and affordable. The Photon is proof that 3D scanners are following suit, thanks in no small part to crowdfunding and the creativity of small startups. Invented by Adam Brandejs and Drew Cox, Photon is beautiful, easy to use and affordable.

Photon uses a high definition camera and two lasers to scan. It works with both Macs and PCs and connects via a USB 2.0 interface. Together with its free software, the Photon will let you scan any small object – up to 7.5″ diameter and 9.75″ height – in about 3 minutes. It can save 3D models as STL, .OBJ. and .PLY files.

Pledge at least $399 (CAD) (~$390 USD) on Indiegogo to reserve a Photon. I think that’s a very realistic price. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than the Lynx A, another crowdfunded 3D scanner. While the Lynx A justifies its price with its versatility and power, it’s overkill if all you want is a small object scanner. But I think I’ll pass on the Photon, the Lynx A and other 3D scanners. I’m waiting for a 3D fax machine – one that can both scan and print 3D objects.

If the folks behind Sandboxr have their way, someday you won’t have to wait or hunt for figurines of your favorite game character. You’ll just log in to a website or even a mobile app, pick the character and order a 3D printed statue of it. You’ll even be able to customize its pose and accessories. It sounds too good to be true, but you can help make it real.

3D printing your own figurine is nothing new. Some of you may have used FigurePrints to get a replica of your Minecraft world or World of Warcraft character. Last month we also featured Autodesk123D Creature, which lets you make your own character and then order a 3D print right from your iPad. What should set Sandboxr apart are two things. First and most important of all is the company’s dream of becoming a central platform for 3D printing videogame characters, like a Steam for videogame figurines.

MAKE has a neat example of how Sandboxr could be integrated into videogames: “Imagine a game where every time you defeat a boss, you unlock that character’s model in Sandboxr. You can then order a print as a trophy rack, or fashion them wearing a tutu, signifying your total dominance of your enemies. Or a game could allow you to pose and outfit your in-game character in their best gear.” How awesome would that be?

The second potentially big thing about Sandboxr is in how it lets you tweak character models before you have them printed. They made it so you can run through a character’s various animations and then freeze the pose that you like. Imagine having your own unique Link statue. Or owning statues of the Team Fortress 2 characters in hilarious poses.

Right now Sandboxr is in closed beta, which you can get into by pledging at least $5 (USD) into their Kickstarter. As of this writing they’ve only raised a little over $14,000, way below their $125,000 goal. But the state of their Kickstarter is not why I’m not so optimistic about this service. It’s just that I don’t see major game publishers partnering with Sandboxr. Why would they do that when they can start their own similar service and keep all the money for themselves?

Indie games could be all over Sandboxr, but they don’t have the reach or appeal of mainstream games that Sandboxr needs to grow and prosper. For example, Sandboxr has already partnered with Supervillain Studios, maker of Tower Wars, Order Up! and Fat Princess. They’re good games, but I’m sure more gamers would rather order a Magikarp, Nathan Drake or Master Chief statue. Without in-demand game characters, Sandboxr loses much of its appeal.

But I am wondering if Sandboxr can become the deviantART of 3D models, i.e. a community of artists who upload “fan-made 3D models” of copyrighted characters that people can then order as statues. Or will deviantART get there first?

[via MAKE]