Picking up from where we left off (reLink), the Interactive Architecture blog has another entry, “Topotransegrity – Non-Linear Responsive Environments – Robert Neumayr” (Link), on morphing architectural structures. Very cool stuff.

When I look at the images, I can’t help but think that my most recent post discussing printed biological organs is related. Walking on a morphing structure must feel like walking on the heaving chest of a titan; a living, breathing thing.

Now imagine a structure not of pneumatically-controlled trusses, but of some biological mass, or maybe some material derived from the work being done at UT Dallas (reLink). Wicked.

You know, where else could you test something like this but in a virtual world where users are sufficiently immersed to make a proper judgement as to whether average people could stomach the ride… before they got on.

{Image source: 5subzero.org}

I don’t often discuss the printing or fabbing of biological parts, though I probably should. A quick search shows that it was December when I last posted something on the subject (reLink). So to make up for that lack of coverage, here’s a new article over on New Scientist (Link) discussing the topic and an excerpt from it:

It relies on droplets of “bioink”, clumps of cells a few hundred micrometres in diameter, which Forgacs has found behave just like a liquid.

This means that droplets placed next to one another will flow together and fuse, forming layers, rings or other shapes, depending on how they were deposited. To print 3D structures, Forgacs and his colleagues alternate layers of supporting gel, dubbed “biopaper”, with the bioink droplets. To build tubes that could serve as blood vessels, for instance, they lay down successive rings containing muscle and endothelial cells, which line our arteries and veins. “We can print any desired structure, in principle,” Forgacs told the meeting.

Sounds like some regular RP processes to me.

Quote of the month: “Bioprinting is the way to go”. I’d say “Go West, young man” is officially outdated.

I caught this yesterday over on Yahoo! News (Link):

The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus uses the toughest glue on Earth to stick to river rocks, and now scientists are trying to figure out how to produce the stuff.
…
The single-celled bacterium uses sugar molecules to stay put in rivers, streams, and water pipes, a new study found. It’s not clear how the glue actually works, however, but researchers presume some special proteins must be attached to the sugars.

It’s that part about sugar molecules that really got my attention. This helps cement (excuse the pun) some things that have been floating around in my grey matter for a while, going back to something I saw on the RepRap blog and which I’ve hinted at in other posts. I’ll be assembling the pieces elsewhere and post a link later.

The original article is over on LiveScience (Link) in case the Yahoo page evaporates.

I’ve mentioned 1st Avenue Machines before (reLink), and now – courtesy of an entry over on BrandNoise (Link) – comes word of their amazing work for Adidas. At least I assume it’s their work. Highend3D is reporting (Link) that it’s the work of METAphrenie. Maybe it’s both. And maybe there are a few freelancers out there that actually subcontracted the work and are bound by contract to remain silent. It happens.

Now, after you watch that uberkewl video, stop to notice what it is they’re advertising: a customizable shoe. Not new, but I think in this case it’s worth mentioning.

The +F50 TUNIT doesn’t really offer that much in the way of customization – a few interchangeable parts. However, while the Nike iD shoes don’t seem to get much attention in the mainstream (and hence the customization concept remains relatively unknown), these commercials may be the vehicle by which the idea of truly customizable mass-produced product registers with the masses. We’ll see. It’s more than just getting the idea across; it’s getting past the TiVo.

Last year I took the time to ask some professional associates about their company’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. My interest, of course, being driven by PLM’s incorporation of virtual world simulation style elements. To my astonishment, most weren’t even aware what it was, and some reported that their company was in the process of either investigating or acquiring the software. So it’s with little surprise that I caught the following over on Desktop Engineering (Link) yesterday:

According to recent statistics compiled by consulting and research firm CIMdata, Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), the worldwide product lifecycle management (PLM) market grew 8.7 percent to reach $18.1 billion in 2005. This growth rate exceeded earlier estimates, with the boost attributed to continued strengthening of the global economy and an increased recognition of the value of PLM in improving a company’s business performance. PLM investments are forecast to continue climbing over the next five years, reaching an estimated $26.3 billion by 2010.

What’s especially interesting Continue reading →