most interesting use of 3D printing yet?
most interesting use of 3D printing yet?
by mantrid
Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:35 pm
http://phys.org/news/2013-06-3d-tiny-batteries.html
This is the most interesting use of 3D printing I've seen yet.
It could open up a whole new raft of designs for all sorts of things.
Imagine RN1AsOf091407's melissa hand with individual batteries for each finger controlled by a master controller in the wrist. Lose power to one finger? The rest of the hand can still work. Individually powered components could make quite a contribution to reliabilty.
There are some obvious applications but I bet some pretty amazing things not so obvious will come out of this tech.
It will be interesting to see how much power can be squeezed out of such devices as time goes by.
This is the most interesting use of 3D printing I've seen yet.
It could open up a whole new raft of designs for all sorts of things.
Imagine RN1AsOf091407's melissa hand with individual batteries for each finger controlled by a master controller in the wrist. Lose power to one finger? The rest of the hand can still work. Individually powered components could make quite a contribution to reliabilty.
There are some obvious applications but I bet some pretty amazing things not so obvious will come out of this tech.
It will be interesting to see how much power can be squeezed out of such devices as time goes by.
by PaulL
Fri Jun 21, 2013 11:51 am
Mantrid, you've seen the new pics? It's coming along. I'd love to do nothing but bot work all day. Instead, I have to work with their dumbed down cousins (industrial machines).
In reading the article, I had a thought:
Imagine tiny 3D printers specializing in nothing more than making such tiny batteries, integrated into a bot, then small rails / tracks moving them to where needed, and moving old ones in need of replacement to... Well, it's a kind of excretion. Consume materials to create the batteries, excrete the materials when used up. Imagine if the efficiency was such that the power generated was sufficient enough to sustain the entire bot. That's a bit out there, huh?
What's for lunch today? Battery acid. I imagine something similar in the world of nano technology, rebuilding parts that make up a whole.
It's an interesting question - how small can a 3D printer be? You could make one with a few small continuous rotation servos (need some kind of position feedback) and some screws and nuts. A smaller version might be electromagnetic, that could be pretty tiny.
Paul
In reading the article, I had a thought:
Imagine tiny 3D printers specializing in nothing more than making such tiny batteries, integrated into a bot, then small rails / tracks moving them to where needed, and moving old ones in need of replacement to... Well, it's a kind of excretion. Consume materials to create the batteries, excrete the materials when used up. Imagine if the efficiency was such that the power generated was sufficient enough to sustain the entire bot. That's a bit out there, huh?
What's for lunch today? Battery acid. I imagine something similar in the world of nano technology, rebuilding parts that make up a whole.
It's an interesting question - how small can a 3D printer be? You could make one with a few small continuous rotation servos (need some kind of position feedback) and some screws and nuts. A smaller version might be electromagnetic, that could be pretty tiny.
Paul
by mantrid
Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:22 pm
Hi Paul
Yes I've been dipping into your hand project to see how you are doing.
Its an interesting one with lots of potential.
For example I like your use of strips instead of wires. Perhaps
you have considered the fact that pressure sensitive plastics are now
available in strips? ....
Industrial machines can be fun too - I once had the opportunity to
program a manufacturing cell to dance... The robots couldn't move of
course but the waving and snapping was kind of spanish in effect...
I love the idea of tiny 3D printers... (Another Feynman fan I presume?)
Oddly enough I've just read a report on the design of micro machines that's not so encouraging. The problem being the introduction of quantum effects as things get smaller. Who needs a 3D printer that spontaneously
turns into a bowl of petunias ?
(OK the report just said random breakdowns but a little Douglas Adams never goes amiss)
Yes I've been dipping into your hand project to see how you are doing.
Its an interesting one with lots of potential.
For example I like your use of strips instead of wires. Perhaps
you have considered the fact that pressure sensitive plastics are now
available in strips? ....
Industrial machines can be fun too - I once had the opportunity to
program a manufacturing cell to dance... The robots couldn't move of
course but the waving and snapping was kind of spanish in effect...
I love the idea of tiny 3D printers... (Another Feynman fan I presume?)
Oddly enough I've just read a report on the design of micro machines that's not so encouraging. The problem being the introduction of quantum effects as things get smaller. Who needs a 3D printer that spontaneously
turns into a bowl of petunias ?
(OK the report just said random breakdowns but a little Douglas Adams never goes amiss)