Today on In Case You Missed It: A robot from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev produces a wave-like motion that can propel itself across a floor or through water, only with one motor. Also a robotic surgeon called Flex can snake its way down...
So-called "asteroid mining" company Planetary Resources is built on the belief that asteroids and other objects in space are loaded with resources that we can take advantage of, both here on Earth and as we begin to explore space in earnest. The esse...
Following in the footsteps of sportswear rival Adidas, New Balance today introduced its own 3D-printed running shoe. Created in collaboration with 3DSystems, a company known for offering 3D printing tech, New Balance's sneaker features a 3D-printed...
Consumer-focused 3D printing has been all the rage in the past several years, and while Yeezy may be apprehensive, it's putting the power of manufacturing into the hands of the people. The concept of three-dimensional reproduction isn't as new as y...
Chocolate. It may arguably be better than bacon. And today we have some important chocolate news. Hershey has just announced a partnership with 3DSystems to produce a 3D printer that prints in chocolate. Imagine chocolate shaped like anything, maybe even with a hollow caramel maze inside or something.
This isn’t 3DSystems first foray into printing candy – they showed off some amazing printers that could output both sugar and chocolate candy models at the recent 2014 CES:
We don’t know when they will have their new Willy Wonka device ready or how much it might cost, but the ChefJet will sell for less than $5,000 and the ChefJet will go for less than $10,000. No word on the Hershey’s version though. You guys just feel free to throw everything you have at this project. Humanity is counting on you.
I can’t wait for finely detailed chocolate Star Trek starships to start rolling out of this machine. The possibilities are endless.
When Motorola threw its weight behindPhonebloks' modular smartphone concept, it pretty much signaled to the rest of the industry that the Google company was dead serious about customization. But that radical vision of a completely upgradeable handset needs an equally radical manufacturing partner and Motorola's found that in 3D Systems. Today, the two companies have announced a multi-year deal that'll see 3D Systems building what Motorola calls "the factory of the future," and providing a complete end-to-end fabrication process for 'Project Ara.' As part of the deal, Motorola's exclusively tasking 3D Systems with creating new "multi-material printing capabilities including conductive and functional materials" to build these modules (e.g., chassis, battery, etc.) and help it keep pace with eventual consumer demand for 'Ara' phones. That's all if 3D Systems can prove its undeveloped printing process actually, you know, works. If not, well, 3D Systems can kiss that exclusivity agreement goodbye.
3D Systems has been on a bit of a shopping spree lately, snatching up companies left and right for its portfolio of print offerings. This latest deal is a bit sweeter than most, however. The company has picked up Sugar Lab, an LA-based startup that prints edible 3D objects in sugar. This isn't quite the breakthrough in 3D-printed food we've been waiting for, but it certainly suggests that the company is taking a much more serious look at the space, as CEO Avi Reichental suggested during our interview at Expand back in March.
We reached out to the exec for comment on this latest acquisition, and he told us: "We are all foodies at heart, and for as long as we could remember, food provided a great canvass for our creativity. Adding third dimension to food creation is one of the most exciting initiatives I am involved with." At the very least, it takes us a step closer to the Star Trek cake we've wanted since we were 10.
Could 3D printing be the future of office supply stores? Staples, for one, has been dipping its toes in those rising waters, offering a limited selection of devices on its site. Office Depot's following suit, making the seemingly logical move of including the third dimension in its printing offering. The chain announced today that it's added 3D Systems' Cube and CubeX to its online store, selling the printers for $1,299 and $2,499, respectively. It's not quite a 3D printing kiosk in every store (who wouldn't want a personalized Star Trek figure while you wait?), but it's always nice to see a company looking to embrace emerging technology.
You might say that, in addition to the whole 3D printing thing, 3D Systems is in the acquisition game. The company's spent much of the past few years snapping up smaller brands like there's no tomorrow. And while a number of those buys have tended to fall a bit out of our purview, this latest is particularly interesting. The company announced this morning that it has picked up TeamPlatform, kind of the Google Docs of the 3D modeling world. The software offers up collaborative access to cloud-based tools for design, engineering and management companies. No word on how exactly the company will be absorbed, but 3D Systems noted plans to integrate it into Geomagic and Cubify, bringing the offering to pro and consumer users, respectively.
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Today on In Case You Missed It: A robot from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev produces a wave-like motion that can propel itself across a floor or through water, only with one motor. Also a robotic surgeon called Flex can snake its way down...
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So-called "asteroid mining" company Planetary Resources is built on the belief that asteroids and other objects in space are loaded with resources that we can take advantage of, both here on Earth and as we begin to explore space in earnest. The esse...
Following in the footsteps of sportswear rival Adidas, New Balance today introduced its own 3D-printed running shoe. Created in collaboration with 3DSystems, a company known for offering 3D printing tech, New Balance's sneaker features a 3D-printed...
Consumer-focused 3D printing has been all the rage in the past several years, and while Yeezy may be apprehensive, it's putting the power of manufacturing into the hands of the people. The concept of three-dimensional reproduction isn't as new as y...
