technology Archives - Perfect 3D Printing Filament

Robot Skin 3D Printer Close to First-in-Human Clinical Trials

In just two years a robotic device that prints a patient’s own skin cells directly onto a burn or wound could have its first-in-human clinical trials. The 3D bioprinting system for intraoperative skin regeneration developed by Australian biotech start-up Inventia Life Science has gained new momentum thanks to major investments from the Australian government and two powerful new partners, world-renowned burns expert Fiona Wood and leading bioprinting researcher Gordon Wallace.

Codenamed Ligō from the Latin “to bind”, the system is expected to revolutionize wound repairs by delivering multiple cell types and biomaterials rapidly and precisely, creating a new layer of skin where it has been damaged. The novel system is slated to replace current wound healing methods that simply attempt to repair the skin, and is being developed by Inventia Skin, a subsidiary of Inventia Life Science.

“When we started Inventia Life Science, our vision was to create a technology platform with the potential to bring enormous benefit to human health. We are pleased to see how fast that vision is progressing alongside our fantastic collaborators. This Federal Government support will definitely help us accelerate even faster,” said Dr. Julio Ribeiro, CEO, and co-founder of Inventia.

Seeking to support Australia’s biomedical and medical technology sector, the Australian government announced it will invest AU$1 million (US$723,085) to supercharge the Ligõ 3D bioprinting system for regenerating skin. The project is one of 21 initiatives to receive support from the Federal Government’s BioMedTech Horizons (BMTH) program, operated by MTPConnect, a non-profit organization aiming to accelerate the rate of growth of the medical technologies, biotechnologies, and pharmaceuticals sector in Australia.

Late in July 2020, Australia’s Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt announced that the program’s funding is expected to move the device faster into first-in-human clinical trials. Separately, the team also received funding from the Medical Research Future Fund Stem Cell Therapies Mission to collaborate with stem cell expert Pritinder Kaur from Curtin University, in Perth, to use the Ligō device to deliver stem cell-based products that could improve skin regeneration.

According to Inventia, the skin is the first point of injury in accidents and some diseases and, when significantly damaged, it heals slowly, usually leaving a scar. Moreover, throughout the regeneration process, it is open to infection, a major problem in the body’s first protective barrier, and a good enough reason to find new ways to speed up the healing process.

Focusing energies on creating a robot capable of printing tiny droplets containing the patient’s skin cells and biomaterials directly on the wound gave Inventia the potential to recreate functional and aesthetically normal skin. Moreover, the researchers behind the Ligõ technology suggest this can be achieved in a single procedure in the operating theatre, reducing treatment cost and hospital stays, and minimizing the risk of infection.

The device uses Inventia’s patented technology, which was already successfully featured in its RASTRUM platform for lab-based medical research and drug discovery. By taking this core technology into the clinic through the Ligō robot, the company expects to break new ground with some of Australia’s leaders in skin regeneration.

Researchers from Inventia Life Science at the Translational Research Initiative for Cell Engineering and Printing (TRICEP) at Wollongong. (Image courtesy of TRICEP)

Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) at the University of Wollongong, in Australia, will also lend their internationally renowned expertise in bioinks to develop the new 3D bioprinting system to treat burns during surgery. Led by ACES Director Gordon Wallace, the researchers will provide critical input in the bioprinter and bioink development process. This news comes as no surprise as the ACES team already had a strong working relationship with Inventia.

“ACES is at the forefront of building new approaches to 3D printing, and this project will draw on this significant success we have had in this space in recent years,” Wallace said. “3D printing has emerged as the most exciting advance in fabrication in decades, and I’m excited to continue to build our local capabilities in this area to establish a new, innovative and sustainable industry for the Illawarra [a region in the Australian state of New South Wales]. Being part of this skin regeneration project will help to put Wollongong on the map for the commercial manufacture of bioprinting technologies.”

Leading bioprinting researcher Gordon Wallace. (Image courtesy of the ARC Center for Excellence for Electromaterials Science)

For project partner Fiona Wood, a world-leading burns specialist and surgeon, and Director of the Burns Service of Western Australia, this is not the first time that she has looked towards bioengineering to help her patients. In the early 90s, the expert pioneered the innovative “spray-on skin” technique, which greatly reduces permanent scarring in burns victims, and came to notice in 2002, when the largest proportion of survivors from the Bali bombings arrived at Royal Perth Hospital.

“The combination of these grants is an excellent example of the way the Medical Research Future Fund is being applied across the continuum of translational research to commercialization, leading to better patient outcomes,” commented Wood.

Fiona Wood at the Burns Service of Western Australia. (Image credit Fiona Woods Foundation)

Burns are the fourth most common type of trauma worldwide, with an estimated 11 million burned patients treated every year worldwide, and over 300,000 deaths resulting from serious wounds. In Australia alone Wood’s foundation reported that 200,000 people suffer burns annually, costing the Australian community over AU$150 million per year. Burn injuries are horrific and they present complex problems for both the patient and clinicians to deal with, with a road to recovery beyond easy to tackle. Inventia Skin expects bioprinting technology will be a game-changer in wound medicine. Moreover, the combined expertise of leading specialists in bioprinting and burn wounds, along with funding and support from the local government could lead to one of the most innovative 3D bioprinting systems to treat burns during surgery, and best of all, it could be available in 2022.

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Customize Drones with 3D Printing to Suit Your Business

Drones, or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), are a growing technology used in many different sectors and their designs must suit their specific application. 3D printing facilitates drone innovation by enabling design freedom, as well as fast and affordable prototyping and printing of parts. It is possible to 3D print many of a drone’s parts including the frame, propellers, the landing gear, protective equipment and casings for the electronic components.

With the cost and time efficiency that 3D printing offers, each of these parts can be optimized, customized and upgraded to suit the exact needs of the business it is serving. If you are using or considering using drones for your business, 3D printing has the potential to substantially enhance your drone’s function.

Cut
Time and Costs By Turning to 3D Printing for Customized Drones

Commercial drones can be highly expensive and out of reach for smaller businesses that rely on the use of drones to grow their business. 3D printing cuts costs in many different areas including prototyping, customization and manufacturing and therefore makes specialty drones more accessible. It also speeds up the design and prototyping process so that changes can be implemented and the design can evolve more quickly. Kespry, a company that specializes in drones for mapping and surveying, were able to successfully grow their business thanks in part to the affordability of 3D printing their drone parts. Prototyping and printing the covers for their drones’ electronic components cost substantially less than traditional manufacturing methods like injection molding.

Design
a Drone that Suits Your Business Perfectly

Even with the wide range of drones already out there, why rely on a ready-made drone that only suits some of your needs? If you need drones to transport supplies and other cargo, to perform reconnaissance in tight spaces or remote areas, or to catch stunning video footage from the sky, 3D printing can allow you to upgrade drones to suit your business specifically.

Optimize Your Drone Based on its Function

A drone transporting cargo would need a much sturdier, reinforced frame, for example, whereas an FPV drone carrying a small camera might benefit from a more lightweight body. Perhaps your drone needs to be weather resistant and be able to continue flying in unpredictable conditions. No matter what your business’s unique set of needs is, 3D printing allows you to make specific design choices.

Take Advantage of a Higher Level of Geometric Complexity

3D printing technology allows designs to incorporate a higher complexity, allowing parts to be produced more efficiently. Using 3D Printing, companies like Quantum Systems are able to consolidate their drone parts by taking advantage of the ability to produce more complex designs that integrate multiple functions into one part. This not only saves time and materials but also gives them the opportunity to add any needed features to their designs without compromising on the drone’s weight.

Prototype
Your Drone Parts

Prototyping with 3D printing helps make customizing drones accessible even to smaller businesses. The process allows for unprecedented speed and cost reduction in making sure your drone is the best it can be. Instead of waiting months to test new iterations, changes can be made to 3D designs within hours, then printed and shipped to you in days. Implementing changes quickly allows for a faster evolution of a design and to find exactly what is right for your business.

Print
Your Parts with the Appropriate 3D Printing Method and Materials

Selecting the right 3D printing technology and materials will depend on the drone. SLA printing provides a high level of precision and a wide range of materials to choose from. The material should be tough and versatile and be able to handle stretching, bending and impact. Nylon is another option as it is strong, temperature resistant and is also good for printing drone fuselages that resist collision damages.

Partner
Up with a Service To Achieve the Highest Level of Quality

For the most efficient printing process, it is important to have dedicated support and access to the highest quality results. Our services at Shapeways enable businesses of all sizes to develop specialty drones without incurring high equipment startup costs and navigating the trial and error of adapting to a new technology. That way your focus can be on your needs and your unique drone design while the production of prototypes and parts is taken care of.

Drones are used for such a wide range of projects and functions that having specific enhancements to suit its purpose are hugely beneficial. Traditional manufacturing methods would have made unique alterations inaccessible to many smaller businesses but thanks to 3D printing, updating a drone’s design has limitless opportunities. Whether your business uses or produces and sells drones, customization will become more and more important and 3D printing is the best suited technology to facilitate it.

See how Shapeways can help you produce the best drones to grow your business.

The post Customize Drones with 3D Printing to Suit Your Business appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

How My Track Technology Uses 3D Printing for Their Remote All-Terrain Vehicle

My Track Technology (MTT) is an eco-friendly, electric remote-controlled track vehicle built to operate in extreme terrains. Its low center of gravity, resistance to the elements and autonomy make it a crucial new tool for a wide range of civilian and military applications including emergency and disaster rescues and agricultural functions.

Partnered with Shapeways, the makers of MTT were able to use 3D printing to cut substantial time and costs in their production process by rapidly prototyping designs and printing strong, end-use ready parts that can resist the elements.

We interviewed Michael Martel from MTT to find out how MTT has utilized Shapeways’ 3D printing technology to ramp up production with speed and efficiency.

What is your name and your role at My Track Technology?

My name is Michael
Martel and I’m in charge of the MTT product development.

How did My Track Technology start?

10 years ago my
father and I were discussing a product that can enhance human power but as
small as possible to be able to go where a person can walk. The main goal was
to be able to get someone that is injured out of deep forest and at the same
time bring reduced mobility
persons to extreme places.

*From a sketch in 2010 (left) to a fully functional machine in 2020 (right).*

What kinds of customers can MTT benefit?

Our customers are very broad. First, there is the military for rescue and material carrying. Mining for carrying material underground without any fumes and CO2 that has to be ventilated out of the mine. Wildfire suppression help, carrying water pumps and equipment. Also fat bike trails grooming, for agriculture use on wet fields or carrying a freezer in the field for fruits and vegetable harvesting. Replacing a generator on construction sites with MTT-154 onboard 2000W inverter, and much much more.

My Track Technology rescue and rapid intervention — My Track Technology’s machine used in rescue and rapid intervention.
Photo source: My Track Technology

How did you find Shapeways?

Four years
ago one of my electronic employees bought a cheap FDM printer that he assembled himself. At that time I was very skeptical of 3D printing,
I was thinking it was only for toys and figurines. Nevertheless I let him try
some joystick parts. I was at the time building it with a laser cut aluminum
sheet, bent and welded to make an enclosed case. His part with FDM (PLA) was so successful that we
used it for our vehicle for about a year, very amazing. The problem with this
part was the surface finish, time to print and resistance to wet environments.
I was so impressed by this test that I decided
to learn more on 3D printing methods, suppliers and more. This is when I came
to Shapeways’ website and was very impressed
by the technical information and production
capabilities.

I then decided to
manufacture a couple of parts at Shapeways and I have
never been disappointed since. Shapeways is not the
least expensive but I tested many suppliers over the years and I did a lot of
cold temperature testing. Shapeways always has the strongest and nicer finished parts.

Unless you have $100,000 or more to invest in an SLS or HP printer you will never have the quality, robustness, precision and surface finish of a Shapeways part.

What are the benefits of using Shapeways over an in-office printer?

When buying a printer you have an amazing amount of choice offered to you. The problem is to have a printer for all of the applications. The size of the parts, the surface finish, the resistance and the productivity of this printer are all to be considered. Unless you have $100,000 or more to invest in an SLS or HP printer you will never have the quality, robustness, precision and surface finish of a Shapeways part. Shapeways is a one-stop shop for 3D printing projects. They have multiple machines to accommodate all the requirements of all special projects. So for us Shapeways has been a great partner to reach all of our goals, present and future.

What are the benefits of 3D printing with Shapeways over other manufacturing methods?

Speed, cost and simplicity. When our 3D drawing is finished we don’t have to produce fabrication drawings. We just upload the 3D file on Shapeways’ website. Very simple. We also do not have to build a mold for 1 up to 50 parts. It’s very great cost saving. Later when the design is perfect we can build a mold and be confident that the mold will meet our requirements. We are also not limited to a particular shape with 3D printing, practically every shape is possible. Finally, the precision, repeatability and tolerances are better than most of the others manufacturing methods.

“The precision, repeatability and tolerances [of 3D printing technology] are better than most of the others manufacturing methods

What aspect of My Track Technology production do you use 3D printing and Shapeways for?

We are right now
moving to production and most of the parts that had previously been tested with
3D printing are now thermo or injection molded. 3D printing saves us an amazing amount of money by testing
different designs quickly. When the design is
confirmed the mold can be built with the peace of mind that this part works perfectly well.

The other 10 parts
that are needed for an
MTT-154 2020 will continue to be built with 3D
printing technologies. Up to about 100 MTT-154 units per year it totally makes
sense to print parts in Nylon. We save the initial cost of the mold and we can design parts
that are impossible to manufacture with a traditional mold.

What materials do you use?

Right now we mostly use SLS, with Nylon PA12 (Versatile Plastic), dyed black. We also use rubber like TPU to create custom grommets.

How does working with Shapeways affect the speed of your manufacturing?

In our MTT machine there are about 20 plastic parts. Last year we were in a very big rush to do a test with the US military and we had no time to build 20 molds for every single part. We saved at least 6 months (concept, drawing for molding, mold building and parts production) by 3D printing with Shapeways.

How about any cost savings?

For 20 plastic parts the average cost of a mold is $3500 * 20 = 70,000 USD. This money would have been a very big gamble knowing that we were unsure if these parts would meet the functionality, design and resistance we needed. $70K is a lot of money for a startup. It’s manageable, but $70K without any guarantee that this mold will be useful in the future is unacceptable.

Video source: My Track Technology

What is the most important aspect of working with Shapeways for you?

First, when we want
a strong part I know that Shapeways will not disappoint us. Also the website is
very easy to use, and I like the freedom to choose the shipping you want
depending on the requirement of a particular project. The quality control is
also excellent because I never return a part. Finally, the service when I need
information is excellent.

Can you share any current or future goals for My Track Technology?

The goal right now
is really to move to production and send machines to the customers that have
reserved these vehicles in the past. The product we sell right now is our
MTT-154 2020, with the possibilities to have only one unit with a trailer/sled
or with the flip of a switch multiple units coupled together for special military and industrial
applications.

Finally, we have orders for some small MTT-like robots. The frame will be built entirely in SLS printing at Shapeways very soon.

The next stage in 2021-2022 will be remote control with satellite or 4G and autonomous capabilities.

Efficient Manufacturing with 3D Printing

My Track Technology’s vast range of potential applications will see it become an essential tool for assisting humans in navigating challenging terrains and environments. Using 3D printing has made MTT’s production process much more efficient and affordable and shows how 3D printing can contribute to smarter manufacturing.

Find out how Shapeways can help with your rapid prototyping and robotics manufacturing needs.

The post How My Track Technology Uses 3D Printing for Their Remote All-Terrain Vehicle appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

LiDar and its Applications Part 10 – Flood Prevention

Flood Plain

Floods have various impacts on environmental ecosystems. Some of these can be positive, while others are very detrimental. Flooding is a natural ecological process that plays an integral role in ensuring biological productivity and diversity within a flood plain. There are a myriad of impacts in the detrimental sense. This typically includes environmental degradation. Flood damage is usually the most extensive and difficult to repair within the environment. Flooding directly impacts the health and well-being of wildlife and lifestock. A list of problems associated with flooding includes riverbank erosion and sedimentation, the dispersal of nutrients and pollutants, restructuring of surface and groundwater resources, as well as landscape editing of habitats. So how can we use LiDar to mitigate some of the problems with floods, and maybe use floods to our benefit?

We have outlined the importance of risk analysis within our series a number of times so far. In flood modeling, small changes in elevation are the difference between a high risk flood zone and low risk. LiDar is used to model floodplain morphology. A floodplain is an area of low lying flat land that is seasonally submerged by overspill from neighboring rivers, lakes, or swamps. Based on elevation levels, we can predict a good amount of flood risk before a flood occurs.

New Orleans Hurricane Katrina Flood Map

Flood risk evaluation has a lot of nuances to the overall problem. There lies a lot of uncertainties and typical oversight from observed data. This is most difficult to solve when we are analyzing the LiDar data from 3D terrains of flat lands. Flat lands have extremely small changes within their land surface elevation models. The presence of man made structures also significantly changes the flood distribution and variable flow of a flood. In order to analyze flood risks in flat lands, we focus our attention to LiDar and its capabilities in micro-topography.

We have briefly explained micro-topography before. Micro-topography and LiDar analysis allows us to measure micro changes within topological maps. We can use this data from our Digital Terrain Models as well as Digital Elevation Models to now make better predictions of ebbs and flows within a flood, or the likelihood of a flood to even occur. A good river and floodplain description is possible using high resolution input data. Advancements in modeling and remote sensing technologies such as LiDar make it possible to generate high resolution DEMs at a reasonable cost. We can produce DEMs with accuracy less than ±25 cm, depending on the land cover, slope, flight parameters and environmental conditions.

DEMs for microtographic analysis in wetlands

The ability to analyze land in a microscale fashion is so useful for this field of study. Within the larger context of 3D data, being able to go from the macroscale to microscale is of utmost importance. The ability to use this for our prevention of major destruction is important. We cannot take care of unexpected large scale random events, but most of the predictable events can be taken care of.

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The Diamond Project

The Diamond Project is a business idea from Valerio Semeraro. He is an Italian born in Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy. He is a passionate, technical, and highly enthusiastic 3D printing artist. Martina 3D Printing is an Instagram page he started, and it lead to this particular project we are showcasing today. I think it is an interesting concept that with some assistance could scale.

The “Diamond” Project is trying to create a diamond capable of projecting holograms suspended in the air.

We like to create objects that are unique in the world and different from anything we’ve seen before.We aspire to revolutionize the display of holograms with devices thanks to an application of 3D printing.

Diamond Project Prototype

Their Diamond wants to replace typical logos on the front bonnets of future cars. It will have a function similar to the Rolls-Royce statue and will highlight innovation, design, and technology. This design will give a futuristic look to cars as it will display a hologram on the hood. The technology they are using can also be readily applied to different mediums such as car headlights, audio speakers, gadgets for televisions, gadgets for telephones, lamps, advertising, and much more. It is a cool technology that is leveraging AR.

Here is my opinion on the project. I think that the project is truly in its infancy and needs more guidance from seasoned business professionals. The concept is good and definitely a doable one technology-wise. I do not believe they have the bandwidth or business experience to grow this fully. I am helping them in the sense that I want to highlight them for this though: dogged persistence. I will say that Valerio and his team have been emailing me for months sending me different media as well as updates on their project. It shows that as an organization they will put in the work necessary to grow. They just need the right business counsel to grow exponentially.

Valerio Semeraro

They are looking for some assistance in terms of company direction. Their intent is to create functional and futuristic prototypes starting from the holographic logos on the bonnets of cars. They are looking for someone to give them a hand to build their project. Their ideals of inventiveness came trough their Fablab origins. This idea won the Italian Microsoft award “SognatoriDigitali”. If this intrigues you and you want to help this project more contact them through email at diamond.project.hologram@gmail.com.

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What is Metrology Part 20 – Processing

Processing

Hey everyone! So this series thus far has been a bunch of fun, and it gets more exciting with what we are doing today. Today I’ll be taking us through a basic tutorial in coding through the framework of the Processing API. I have had experience with this programming language and I believe it is an interesting medium for visualizations of various sorts. It can do awesome generative computerized art, and it can be the source of interesting projects when data and 3D environments are fused. I’ll give an informational overview of the platform as it pertains to 3D manipulation.

Processing is an interesting platform as it is a software sketchbook in a sense. It is a language used for coding and applying it specifically to the visual arts. Processing has done a lot of promotion for software literacy within the visual arts field. It has also done similar promotion for visual literacy within the technology sector. They have built a large global community of students, artists, researchers, and hobbyists who use the platform for educational and prototyping purposes.

Processing Tutorials

I personally started messing with Processing when I was in college. I had some skills in Python mostly through my physics courses, but I was working at my Center of Digital Media within my university. Being around digital media and artistic individuals got me curious as to see the combination of technical fields as well as the arts. When I was learning to code a bit more, I found the Processing platform and a large amount of YouTube tutorials.

Generative Processing Art

Something of interest to me with the platform is that it is a simple interface. It also is not as intimidating of an environment compared to other development spaces. For someone who is interested in things such as image processing, it is the ideal platform to learn quickly. Combining the arts and technology seems disparate for a lot of people. These two fields however are extremely similar and they should not live in vacuums away from each other.

Another great thing about Processing is the large portfolio of onsite tutorials that explain the basics to someone who has no experience with the platform. They did a great job of explaining what every command does within their environment. When learning to code, it is more of a learn as you go approach. When one needs a function, they will have to research online for the meaning of this function and how to execute it. Processing did a good job of centralizing their information through their website and online forum communities.

P3D Mode in Processing

Processing’s power lies within its five render modes. These render modes are the default renderer, P2D, P3D, PDF, and SVG. The default renderer is the backbone of a lot of the programs done by Processing users. It is used for 2D drawing. The usage rates vary based on whether the other renders lack the definition of the size() parameter. The P2D renderer is an alternative to the default renderer for 2D images. The difference between these renderers is that P2D has a quicker runtime, but it sacrifices some visual quality for speed. The P3D renderer is used for drawing in three dimensional space. The PDF renderer is used for writing PDF files from Processing. The files can be scaled to various sizes and output with high resolutions. This renderer can also flatten 3D data into a 2D vector file as well. The SVG renderer does similar tasks as the PDF renderer, but the file format is an SVG. A lot of the renderer power for 3D imaging comes from utilizing the software of OpenGL that is supported on multiple GPUs to help speed up the drawing process.

With this overview, I hope I have intrigued people for a couple of coding projects I will try to show off within the series.

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What is Metrology Part 16: Introductory Coding

Anaconda

Today we will be looking into the basics of image processing and coding within Python. We will start with 2D images and learn some elementary skills in terms of setup and coding with image processing. With all of the research being done in this metrology series, it will be fun to do some interactive and project-oriented learning that focuses our attention to the different subject matter we have touched so far. Be prepared to deep dive a bit more with me today.

The first step in coding is choosing and setting up one’s developing environment. This choice is done through knowledge of what language you are using, as well as personal preference. I myself have basic scripting skills within Python. My first inclination for coding is the Python language. This limits the scope of development tools that are available to me. I also am coding with the intent of doing image processing work. This dictates my workflow and environment.

Command Line Example

I decided to develop with the Anaconda environment for Python. The steps for downloading and running Anaconda can be a bit confusing if you do not have previous experience with a command line. A command line is the space to the right of the command prompt on an all-text display mode on a computer monitor (usually a CRT or LCD panel) in which a user enters commands and data. Commands are generally issued by typing them in at the command line and then pressing the ENTER key, which passes them to the shell. For someone completely new to coding though, there are various tutorials and online resources that are instruction based. I will layout the process that I used to get my development environment setup:

Download the Anaconda package through here.

When the installer gives you the option to add this to your environment path be sure to do so. It is important for later interactions with your computer’s command line.

Use the following conda command in your command line when Anaconda is installed:

conda install jupyter

Once this command is entered, your computer will unzip the jupyter notebook package from the web. A jupyter notebook is where one can place their Python code. It can also be executed and tested within this environment. It is an awesome tool for developing.

Use the following conda command in your command line after completing the previous installation:

conda install pillow

Once this command is entered, your computer will unzip the pillow package from the web. The pillow package is a great package for Python because it imports functions that are specific to image processing techniques. Once those installations are done, open a new command line and type in the following command:

jupyter notebook

Jupyter First Glance

This will open up a jupyter notebook environment within one of your browser tabs automatically. From there we are now able to start coding and have some fun. There is a button on the upper right hand corner that says new. Click this and press Python 3 for the ability to make a file for developing. The initial popup window should correspond to how your desktop environment is setup in terms of files.

Now that we have all of this setup, please take a look at this online tutorial here. In this tutorial it is one should copy and type all of the text that appears within the code posted. Without exact formatting, various errors may pop up as you run your program. This is the more challenging part of programming. Being able to spot errors and bugs when we are creating projects is the essence of a succinct programmer. There will also be various items, words, and functions that seem complex. It is important for one to learn everything that seems foreign to them if they want to become an excellent programmer.

Antialiasing Example

I myself had no real understanding of the word antialiasing. It is something I have seen before in my camera settings of a DSLR I use, and I have seen it within programs such as Photoshop, but I really did not understand what it was. Once I saw it in the context of code, I really had to understand what it meant. In the particular code snippet I copied from the tutorial, the goal was to create images that were at a certain size and shape. In order for images to be compressed, antialiasing is an important factor. Antialiasing is a technique used to add greater realism to a digital image by smoothing jagged edges on curved lines and diagonals. This is a computer graphics technique that allows for sharper resolutions for a photo based on precise geometry. Some of the “imperfections” of an image may be distorted or destroyed due to this. I am certain that in order to do processing such as photogrammetry and image stitching, a computer would have to have exact geometries that can be added together to form a 3D image. This causes the 3D image to have less precision overall in terms of actual dimensions. I wonder what is the margin of error for a 3D image when photogrammetry techniques are accounting for antialiasing.

Lastly, I learned about an alpha channel. Alpha channels are color components that represent the degree of transparency (or opacity) of a color (i.e., the red, green and blue channels). They are used to determine how a pixel is rendered when blended with another. It now begs the question of how precise are metrology and laser scanning devices in terms of picking up color. These are follow up questions I will be researching more in depth.

Overall, this is the first step into the world of image processing. I am excited to continue research as well as build out fun projects that will show off this field a bit more.

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3D Printing & the Circular Economy Part 4: Anthroposphere

Technosphere

Today we will be discussing the anthroposphere in relation to a circular economy. The anthroposphere can be defined as the part of the environment that is made or modified by humans for use in human activities and human habitats. People also refer to the anthroposphere as the technosphere. Humans have evolved over time to build more tools to navigate their environment. Technology is the crux of this. In order to navigate one’s environment, there is an implied and necessary usage of resources within an environment. To thrive, one must efficiently use their resources, but the question is whether or not humans are doing so. The circular economy is trying to establish a thought process and system of humans having a connection to their habits that cause deterioration of the world. We shall look into how the current state of humanity and the anthroposphere point towards how close we are to moving towards a circular economy.

The history of human development and advancement is imbued in creation. We are a species that continuously builds. This is a testament to the human society’s sense of exploration and experimentation. We are consistently challenging the status quo and trying to make our lives better. With humans inherently trying to make the world precise or technology driven, we are applying a mindset that is narrow minded at times. The technology and innovations we create are susceptible to unsustainable production methods. An example can be taken from overproduction with the use of injection molding systems at different companies. The technology itself is great as it produces such a large quantity of items for us in a short time, but that is a downfall of the technology as well. It is super efficient, and it causes us over produce. Building a machine such as an injection molder also leads to the utilization of resources inherently. Now it is important to denote that the technology is not bad; it just leads to unintended problems in terms of sustainability, the anthroposphere, and the circular economy. This is the internal debate of innovation and technology. We are trying to advance society, but we may be digressing it if we use all our resources. There is only a finite supply it seems.

How does Human Development relate to the Circular Economy

In terms of humans, I think a good amount of people in the developing world are okay in terms of life standards. This is granted a generalization, but there is validity to this. There is another opposing statement that occurs from this frame of reference: Life in underdeveloped nations is affected by developed nations having better standards of life. This does not necessarily bode well for the whole anthroposphere and the circular economy. It also seems unlikely that everywhere on Earth will have an equal distribution of resources and technology development. So how do we still work on this ideal of a circular economy when things seem unlikely? If we want to live the ideals of a circular economy to better the anthroposphere, various nations should be more focused on producing what they can based on their environment. Would this be good or bad though?

Waste and Manufacturing Cycle

Based on the issues brought up today, I will be doing more research. I believe the importance of localization in production is a major key within our anthroposphere. These are some basic questions and assumptions I have. I will be researching and providing statistics on various items within industrial waste as well as nations that are focused on localization of their production and how this contributes to the overall anthroposphere.

Interview with Ganit Goldstein on Craft, Technology, Fashion & 3D Printing

Ganit Goldstein

Ganit Goldstein is a Designer whose interest lies in the intersection between Craft and Technology. Ganit studied Jewelry and Fashion. She received the Excellence Award from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, Israel. Her work is focusing on new methods of incorporating 3D Printing into the world of Textiles, Shoes and Fashion. In her Collection ‘Between The Layers’, she created garments and shoes, inspired by her study of ‘IKAT’ weaving in Tokyo, Japan. Her collection received great interest and immediate press recognition, and was presented at Exhibitions and Museums around the world including Milan Design week, New York Textile Month, Asian Art Musuem – San Francisco, Holon Design Museum, ‘TALENTE’ exhibition in Munich and more. Ganit Goldstein believes in an interdisciplinary approach to design- mixing Tradition with Futuristic techniques – 3D printing & 3D body scanning.

Give us some background on your experiences so far.

I studied at Bezalel Academy of Arts in Design and majored in the department of Fashion and Jewelry. Since my first year of study, I was fascinated by using 3D design software, especially because of the design-freedom it allowed me. During my studies, I have often incorporated tools from other disciplines into my work, whether it is CNC, laser cutting, 3D scanning and 3D printing. The use of different tools and mindsets helped me discover my own desig language.

During my third year of study, I was expected to participate in an exchange student program. My decision was to apply for the opposite direction of what I was used to. Meaning, the opposite of the cutting-edge technology field. I found my way to the Craft Department ’Textile Art’ program at Tokyo University of the Arts – GEIDAI. During this time, every single process of my designs was made using traditional handmade techniques. Meaning, I turned completely low-tech, changing my entire thinking structures and patterns. That was very significant for me in terms of expanding my horizons and changing my view on design. Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone! When I finished my studies in Tokyo, I went back to Jerusalem to finish my final project. That’s when I decided to combine the traditional methods I recently learned, with the latest technology I was working on before. This was translating both worlds of the past and future into one design language.

Since my graduation, I was lucky to participate as a finalist in four international competitions, presented my projects in New York Textile Month, Hong Kong Fashion Week, Asian Art Museum- San Francisco and ‘Talente’ exhibition in Munich. These competitions helped me a lot to reach my goals, discover possibilities, and meet great people that influence my work until this day.

Craft and Technology Outfit

When did you first get excited about fashion and design?

I was excited to mix the borders between art and fashion, back in high school, when my project consisted of dresses made from broken glass and metal wires. I was looking at garments as a platform to make art pieces, that aren’t necessarily meant to be worn, but rather a manifestation of aesthetics, culture, language, and design.

One exhibition that is very powerful in my memory is a solo exhibition (2014) of Iris Van Herpen at the Design Museum Holon. The exhibition was very special and it featured beautiful outfits, that crossed borders between art, fashion, and futuristic techniques. It was influential for me because it dealt, or perhaps answered the question of whether fashion can be presented at museums as art pieces.

When you did your first 3D printing project with fashion?

As part of my second-year curriculum study, we were asked to reconstruct costumes from the 18th- 19th centuries. I was asked to build an entire costume, made up of 7 different layers, just as it was made back in the history of fashion. The dress I was assigned to reconstruct is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Costume Institute collections) – from the year 1870. This decade was a “golden decade” for lace dresses. In the next semester, we were asked to think about the outfit in a modern perspective, and I was focusing on the lace. I decided to design and create a 3D lace of our times, based on algorithms printed with hard material, combining flexible properties inside the printed part. This was the first time I used 3D printing as an integral working method in my designs, and that’s when I discovered the huge potential in using algorithms, software and parametric design in the process of my work.

During my studies, and especially due to this project, I began working closely with the Institute of Chemistry – Casali Center at the Hebrew University, for innovative research in 3D printing. The research group, led by Prof. S. Magdassi, focuses on materials science, nanotechnology and their applications in a variety of fields such as 3D and functional printing.

This collaboration gave me the opportunity to work with great researchers, and thus better understand the different approach for material research studies, working on innovations in the field of 3D printing.

How important is the differentiation of fully created 3D printed items vs hybridized fashion products from textiles and 3D printed material?

The harmony of putting together two different worlds makes the innovation approach, and bring forward a new way of thinking about design. I believe in taking the essence of the traditional techniques from our past and translate those methods to the new technology- a different point of view from the traditional technique inside the process of the newest technology.

I feel it is important to make the hybrid of textiles and 3D printing together because it has the power to bring 3D printing to a much more wearable level. I also understand that fully 3D printed fashion is still in a building stage, and the combination of traditional textile methods helps this method is growing quicker. Hybridized craft methods in 3D printing are important in my opinion because we should not lose sight of the traditional processes. Technology will always move forward, but craft methods can disappear easily. I believe it is important for the designers also to remember the traditional working processes, not to lose the history of crafts. Bridging the craft methods and technology to move forward with the latest technology.

Craft and Technology Shoe

What are some of your favorite projects that you have worked on in 3D printing?

Seeing the first 3D printed multi-color shoes that were made in collaboration with Stratasys was an extremely exciting moment. In these shoes, my aim was to create a fabric-like texture inside the printing process. I couldn’t hope for better results. Since my graduation presentation, the shoes were presented in exhibitions worldwide (the last exhibition was in Milan Design Week 2019). Most of the people I have met during the exhibitions were sure the shoes are made from fabric and not from 3D printing. The shoes are now part of the Holon Design Museum permanent collection, they were the first pair I made together with Stratasys. We made a few more designs, but nothing compares to the success and joy that was brought by my first pair.

One of the most exciting projects that has had a huge impact on my projects so far, was working in collaboration with Intel ‘RealSense’ studio in Jerusalem. We incorporated their technology into the design process by 3D scanning an entire body thus allowing to create customized fashion and accessories, designed for a specific person. We also launched together an AR App (made together with Yoav from RealSense Studio) that demonstrates the 3D printing process using a hologram featured on the reality).

Another very exciting collection will be soon launched together in collaboration with Prusa Research company for FDM processes of wearable shoes. I worked closely with their maker-lab, and we made huge progress, the shoes are 100% wearable with multi-color and flexible materials!

Stratasys and Goldstein Collaboration

What is currently being worked on for you within the 3D printing world?

I am a great believer in collaboration and partnership with great people and open-minded companies. I want to continuously break boundaries, that is my core value, and I understand that in order to do that, I must turn to other disciplines and utilize what they have to offer. The ability to combine both worlds of past and future technique has a big impact on both my past and current projects. This is my take on the future of the 3D printing world.

Harnessing the power of the new technology and utilizing traditional techniques helped me create my own design language. I think that the ability to be open minded in the design process enables me to achieve my goals. I am a great believer of trying new methods, and not putting limits. This works because the design process has ups and downs, and from some failures and material tryout, you can reach better-designed results.

How was it to partner with Stratasys so early on in your journey?

My 3D printing journey started in a small room in my parent’s house, which I filled with 2 desktop printers. That room became my very own printing lab, where I got to experience, try-out materials and utilize the good old “trial and error” method.

I was fortunate enough to gain that experience, because I believe that is what enabled me to work with a “tip of the spear” company such as Stratasys.

The collaboration with Stratasys established after I had many “flight hours”, examples and tryouts. We partnered up during my last year studies. As my vision was to integrate colors inside my printed projects, They allow me to carry out my vision and turn it into reality. I’ve been incredibly lucky, and honored, especially knowing it came at such an early stage of my career. And it also makes me very proud.

I worked closely with the R&D team, and therefore, we shared the same vision of pushing the boundaries of the technology through design research. During the making process, we made some very interesting tryouts with the ability to control any voxel (3D pixel). At the same time, our research was growing, I made it into the final stage of numerous worldwide competitions and exhibitions (‘Talente’ & Milan Design Week), so we were continuing our collaboration for specific events that lead to new developments and exciting processes in each of the projects.

Woven 3D Print Shoes

Do you wish to branch out of just 3D printing?

I wish to further develop in the field of augmented/virtual reality.

3D printing is already well integrated into our lives and in many industries. From medicine to automobiles, furniture, military equipment, housing, fashion, etc.

I believe in the future of 3D printing and its applications. I also believe that 3D printing is directly linked to 3D scanning and ARVR applications and that this technology will completely alter the user experience in public sites and will be adding new features to the digital medium.

The adoption of the technology by museums to reach new levels of audience experience- multi sensational- rather than just viewing. I believe AR will soon be in every museum, using the newest technology for public use, and even controlling our experiences in different senses- not just by looking at an art piece.

I’m also very interested in the smart- textile field, adding new reactions for textile by using programming software. I find especially the 4D printing process very interesting topic to work on, creating 3D objects that change their shape over time.

What are some key skills needed to be a designer within the 3D printing world?

I believe that the main key is determination. Not to be afraid of failure. 3D printing can be very attractive on the one hand, but on the other hand, it is a relatively new technology, there are some limits and tons of failures in the making process. It takes time unti you figure out the path to the final project, it takes time and extra effort.

Being a Maker- For me, to be a designer in the 3D printing world means to be a ‘maker’, I believe in hard work from the beginning. You need to be experimental with many technology techniques. Building your own printer and so on are examples of how I describe a ‘maker’.

Professionalism and expertise- 3D designing and printing is just like programming. You must “study the language”. You must learn the 3D software skills, be an expert in your field. Luckily, in our times, this information is approachable by everybody via the internet. It is possible to study everything you set your mind to, every single feature is fully covered.

Independence and self-confidence – I believe to fully be in control of your designs, anyone that wishes to be a designer in the 3D printing world, should do the work on his own, and not rely on others people’s skills. The making process changes the way the final object will appear, and for me, this is the main freedom space, that you have the ability to bring your design from your imagination into reality and constantly improve it upon your request.

Who are organizations you want to partner or collaborate with in the future?

I want to continue my work with the partners that supported me and have been fantastic in our collaboration: Stratasys, Prusa Research and Swarovski.

I believe the future of my work also lays in collaborating with companies that have new technological developments and have design potential that can become a platform for combining my design visions. I would love to work with researchers of innovation in material research such as Neri Oxman and designers working in the field such as Iris Van Herpen. I’d like to extend the collaboration for shoe design with companies that develop 3D printed shoes such as Adidas.

Designers are not fully on the 3D printing wave just yet, how does it feel to be an early adopter?

It’s extremely exciting to be a part of a relatively small group that consists of designers and makers, who are investigating into how design can be developed in a sustainable and innovative way, using 3D printing technology.

This era is the most stirring time for pushing the boundaries of this technology, and I’m looking forward to working on new projects that will inspire me to think about “re-inventing” our future.

I feel that there is so much space for designers to grow in this field, working together with researchers and scientists all while keeping an open mind for new opportunities.

I feel blessed and extremely lucky to have become an early adopter in this field. It is a magical time filled with opportunities to seize and enjoy and to continue being excited from any new features, ideas, and projects.

I think 3D printing has great potential in so many fields, and design is one of the most exciting uses for this technology, clearing the way for further development of Art and Design (and maybe the concept of fashion and design as art), presenting each artist’s point of view the production process, from imagination to reality.

Where do you see the field of 3D printing and fashion in 5 years?

I see 3D body scan as a key process that will be an integral part of any fashion development department. I believe that 5 years from now, personalization will receive a different meaning and will bring a drastic change in the fashion industry, moving from mass production to one of a kind customizable piece.

In my opinion, another upcoming major change that will take fashion design forward is the ability to design your own clothing- the customer will be his own designer by, ‘pushing buttons’ (by simplifying the design and programming software) for producing his favorite design.

I’ve also found the development of flexible material as a very important process for 3D printed fashion, and the development of new material will be a major step for 3D printed textile to make 3D printing – wearable.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

With 3D printing and 3D scanning, we can utilize the new technology to develop tailored pieces and fit to measure clothing for individuals. I want to take this a step further and produce customized clothes, based on body scans, ready-to-wear fashion and I hope to have designers and partners in the future, bringing innovative approach into daily production methods of fashion.

In the next two years, I will be studying at the Royal College of Arts in London, in the master’s program for smart textile developments called ‘Soft Systems’.

I believe this upcoming period will greatly influence and affect my career, and I hope that 5 years from today I will be able to continue developing my design language, and open my own brand, start-up, lab and continue researching and developing the wearable technology field. I hope to continue being thrilled and excited from any new project, any new printing method and constantly breaking the boundaries of the latest technology

3D Printing Industry Experts Interview: Jeffrey DeGrange of Impossible Objects

Jeffrey DeGrange

Jeffery DeGrange is the current Chief Commercial Officer at Impossible Objects. Before this, he was Vice President of Business and Application Development for Stratasys. He has spent twenty years at The Boeing Company where he led innovative material and process research and development in the areas of additive manufacturing, reverse engineering and advanced manufacturing. He holds various patents for the direct manufacturing of end-use parts and multiple functional tooling used in military and commercial aircraft programs. While at Boeing, he was a key principle to certify and qualify first ever additive manufacturing material and processes for flight hardware used on the F/A-18 super hornet and the 787 Dreamliner production aircraft programs.

Give us some background on your experience and how it has gotten you this far?

I started with Boeing in 1995. I was working with the Boeing additive team to work on parts that would go on aircrafts. This started in 1999. I feel in love with the field. Then I left Boeing to work for Stratsys to be the VP. I was focusing on the technology for manufacturing purposes. I worked with Stratsys and various companies for 7 years. Then I came and worked with Impossible Objects in 2017. The technology was very interesting and appealing. The parts they were making was so much stronger and lighter. The technology could be scaled up easily as well.

BOEING

Explain a bit about your day to day at impossible objects?

It has different legs to the stool. Sometimes we are talking to various material suppliers and doing material assessment. We are also talking to companies and how the technology can be used for their purposes. There also is a need for documentation. We have marketing, technical, and business writing that needs to be done. The last leg is introducing and talking to prospective clients.

Impossible Objects

How are barriers broken for skills on higher level machines?

Society of manufacturing engineers. America Makes is trying to build the educational courses for someone to be a technician. We are building out courses that are needed as well as hands on initiatives. With additive a lot of costs are indeed saved. We can use these saved costs to reinvest in our workers and the community around us.

America Makes

What are the key verticals that an organization has to consider in terms of transitioning towards an additive manufacturing economy?

I think the cost of equipment and material are so important. Aerospace organizations are at the forefront. The medical industry is then next to consider. Particularly clinical trials are happening quicker with these techniques than traditional techniques. Slower adoption is occurring, but it is happening. I recently became an adviser for the Mayo Clinic in terms of printing and prototyping in terms of surgery.

How important is policy and social infrastructure in terms of the future additive manufacturing economy?

I think that there are some things to be done there in order to streamline the acceptance of these devices. We want to make sure in cases like the medical industry that we have FDA clearance. There needs to be a lot of smart people at a table to streamline certifications in that sense. It is important to deal with this in terms of the FAA and the Internal Department of Defense.

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