I made a 3D Scanner... Cost: 0 Dollars

Using the popular Xbox Kinect hack, I have constructed a very component 3d scanner in my bedroom. All you need is a Kinect, a power adaptor for it, Skanect (trial version), and a chair that can rotate 360 degrees. Check out some of my first scans:

I have to work on better lighting situations, because the colored version makes me look like a zombie. But yeah, this stuff I really, really, really freaking cool. I already scanned my whole family! Only thing with the trail version is that you can't export STLs. However, you can upload your scans to sculpteo and have them printed. Though, printing anything over an inch on that site costs a fortune. 

http://www.sculpteo.com/en/design/dylan-sheppard/zvcfBXcT?uuid=NfQws6Jqy1dLOm12Mt0Ozh#tab=size

^ PRINT ME

For Type Lovers: 3D Printed Typography Sculptures

3D Printing Retina Cells

A cure for blindness? Check it out:
http://www.3ders.org//articles/20131218-3d-eye-cells-printed-for-the-first-time.html

3D Maze

Goes for sixty-something on Shapeways.

Renders!

So I decided tonight was the night to say screw it and try rendering in Flamingo, and damn was that a good idea! Here are my renders for the final project:

Yeah I modeled a bar if you didn't notice.

I definitely could've let the last two render longer but I was getting impatient. I also did a bit of post processing on each jpeg in photoshop to adjust the lighting and whatnot. 

Fashion Doll

She's called Quin, and has been cleverly sized to the proportions of today's fashion dolls so you can simply swab out the clothes. I think she looks beautiful, but expect a lawsuit from James Cameron.

3D Printing and Product Liability

Full article: http://www.3ders.org/articles/20131215-3d-printing-and-product-liability-you-may-not-be-protected-under-current-liability-law.html

New Mobile 3D Scanning App

Looks way more promising than 123D...

7 TED Talks on the Wonders of 3D Printing

http://blog.ted.com/2013/02/07/7-talks-on-the-wonder-of-3d-printing/

Fully Functional Loudspeakers... 3D Printed

That's right: the plastic, conductive, and the magnetic parts... all 3D printed. Check it out:



The guy talking in the video gave a lecture in New Paltz earlier this semester.

Link to full article: http://phys.org/news/2013-12-fully-functional-loudspeaker-d.html

The Bar is Coming...

Expirementing with Lights/Textures

Personalized 3D Printed Busts

A company called 3dforUs is selling these starting at around $270:

This is definitely a cool idea, but my god they're so creepy! Just the stiffness of these figures creeps me out, I don't know. I'm curious how they color these things though, it's very realistic. 

I think they're appealing to the wrong crowd. No graduating teenager would want something like this, and I don't think many parents are on to this sort of thing. I feel like compiling 3D scans of important figures and turning them into sculpture form of this caliber would work better. Hell yeah I'd buy a lifelike bust of Abe Lincoln. 

Thingiverse Picks- stuff that would actually be useful edition!

Often times when discussing 3d printing with people, some question what they'd actually find it useful for. These are people accustomed to having everything designed for them; they simply don't know what it means to create. I'm always pleased to find novel items being added to the Thingiverse and other sites. Here's just a few I personally would find useful:

1.) IPhone Tripod Attachment

And this one even appears as if it works without rubber bands.

2.) IPhone Lifeband 

3.) Cookie Cutters

4.) Caddyrack

5.) Cheating Pencil

6.) Juggernaut

Most useful desk toy ever.

Random Inspiration

New Printers from China

Lots of theft of intellectual property going on here....



Ideaprinter 

Winbo (They didn't if try and hide the fact that it's just a Replicator II)

Obama 3D Printer (Yes, this is a real thing)

Pretty Body Scanner

New Renders

Earring... Still Not Sure

Definitely not finished, but coming along.

Wireframe Elephant

I found this one Shapeways. I think it's a cool idea, but it wasn't executed too well. I plan on modeling it myself, hopefully before the end of the semester so I can gift it for Xmas!

MINIGUN!

I don't even need to say anything, the pictures speak for themselves. All I know is I WANT.

Disclaimer: It's Just a Replica!

That Moment When You Realize...

That DEFCAD was put together primarily for the distribution of 3D printed weapons. Check out the "Most Downloaded" tab...

(enlarge by clicking)

Makes sense though, Defense Distributed are the guys making these guns. DEFDIS, DEFCAD, I should have known all along! I guess they got pretty ticked off when Thingiverse banned the uploading of weapons on their website. From what I've read, DEFCAD has been coined "Anti-Makerbot" and "The Pirate Bay of 3D Printing." I found both of these sensationalist terms completely inaccurate, because:

a.) The page is COVERED in advertisements for Makerbot products

&

b.) These files are distributed for free anyway. No piracy going on here...

Overall, I love DEFCAD. I think the people behind it, however, are assholes. Cody Wilson, the mastermind behind it all, is stirring up quite the controversy in the media. And because the general public doesn't actually know anything about 3D printing, he's scaring the shit out of everyone. Everyone thinks that because of him, everyone has access to deadly weapons. Which is true, everyone has access. But to go through with all the printing and assembly of the weapons takes quite a bit of printing expertise  not to mention a printer that'll set you back at least 2000 dollars. Truth is, it's easier to make a weapon out of materials from Home Depot then it is via 3D printing. If you think a killer is going to rely on a one-shot-only-explode-a-pistol to get the job done, think again.

Freakin' Sweet Knots

I found this cool little app that allows you to create Turk's head knot rings with no CAD modeling experience at all. The textures are already generated, all the app does is input your ring size and desired height and then sends the information to Shapeways for a quick and cheap print. This is cool for convenience, but the fact that you can't get the STL files when all is said and done is a bit discouraging. But the rings are definitely cool, and at 3 bucks, it'd make a cheap, but sweet gift for a loved one.
Maybe I'm wrong though, is there anyway to get STL files from Shapeways? I'm thinking no, but who knows...

Here's the ring I made!

Printed ring, looks beautiful.

Here's the website: http://knots.freakinsweetapps.com/