NASA 4D prints new materials and mulls printing self-assembling space stations
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Transporting equipment into space is very, very expensive so NASA has turned to 4D printing to help it create new materials and types of space craft. Space is a harsh unforgiving environment and just getting into orbit is still, despite Elon Musk and SpaceX’s...
Scientists have built the world’s first biological ‘teleporter’
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We have reached the point where we can digitise life itself, albeit at a micro scale, and that opens up a whole host of new opportunities, from being able to create bespoke synthetic organisms to teleporting life across the universe. The chance of a...
Paper made from stone is transforming the paper industry
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF For thousands of years paper has been made using pulp from trees, but a few years ago that changed and now paper made from stone is hitting the shelves in a big way. If you haven’t heard of paper that’s made from stone before...
World’s biggest meat producer begins rolling out robot butchers
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Lower cost robots are increasingly being augmented with advanced AI and that’s accelerating the rate at which human jobs are being automated. Robots, which might get actual rights later this year when the EU votes on the issue, have been improving a lot lately...
The first Mars colony will be 3D printed from Martian dust
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The colossal distances involved in getting to Mars means that shipping equipment to Mars will be an expensive herculean effort so experts want everything to be made in situ A new 3D printing technique could let the first humans on Mars print everything from...
Printed transistor breakthrough opens door for printed electronics and smart goods
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The ability to simply, and cost effectively, print transistors en masse will create millions of new use cases and help turn even the most mundane, dumb objects into smart ones Researchers at the Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research (AMBER) Center in Ireland have, for the...
PassivDom can 3D print you a $32,000 house in eight hours
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As 3D printing techniques improve we’ll see more house builders embrace the technology to build bigger and better homes faster and cheaper than they do today. Building a house by hand can be both time consuming and expensive, which is why more and more...
Adidas unveils their first 3D printed mass market sneaker
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF 3D printing will usher in a new era of on demand, personalised clothing that will revolutionise products, supply chains, and companies. Adidas, who recently made a sneaker from recycled ocean plastic, and other clothing manufacturers have been experimenting with new ways to manufacture their...
Adidas shows off it’s new on demand clothing store
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF It’s inevitable that one day we will be able to personalise and manufacture bespoke clothing on demand, in store and at home, and Adidas’s first stab is a good start but there’s still a way to go. It normally takes most clothing companies anywhere...
Meat without the animals, Memphis Meats shows off new lab produced beef, chicken and duck dishes
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Setting side huge areas of the earth to raise animals is wasteful and environmentally costly, but all of that might soon move into a lab. If you thought that your children will enjoy the same family roast that you’ve always enjoyed then it might...
Housing company Apis Cor is 3D printing new houses in a day
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF In the past building a house could take weeks, sometimes months, but new 3D printing technology is changing the paradigm. If you’re looking to move but can’t find the house of your dreams, you may be able to just print one out for yourself....
The US Army just 3D printed a grenade launcher and grenades
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF 3D printing will let armies print bespoke weapons and equipment out in the field on demand and change military supply chains, and warfare forever. 3D printing has come a long way, companies are using it to print new buildings and sneakers, doctors are using...
Scientists have 3D printed functioning artificial human skin
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to print artificial human skin, on demand will change the lives of burns victims and reduce the need for animal testing. A few months after Stanford University announced it had created the world’s first artificial skin substitute, now researchers in Spain have...
These new Adidas trainers are made entirely from up-cycled ocean plastic
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Soon there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans, but hopefully up-cycling ocean plastic can reverse that trend and that’ll be good news for everyone. By 2050 it’s estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the sea, and that...
Oracle’s America’s Cup yacht will never sail, because it flies
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today’s ultra expensive racing yachts don’t float, they fly, and this years America’s cup could see the first time a boats’ hull never hits the water As far as sporting trophies go, it’s hard to find any older than the America’s Cup. Sailing teams have...
Google RAISR sharpens photos and gives you super vision
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Sight is one of our most crucial senses, now one technology promises infinite zoom and super crisp images. Let’s face it – the last thing many of us want it to take what we think is a great family photo only to find out...
New nano material gives buildings, energy and stealth a big boost
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF A new nano material that can selectively tune out specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum paves the way for cheaper solar power, stealthier fighter aircraft and more energy efficient buildings. A new flexible nano super material that’s been developed by a team at the University...
Researchers unveil the first telepathic link between a robot and a human
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF One of the biggest problems in manufacturing is having to re-train robots to complete new tasks, but now Robot-Human telepathy could make that problem disappear. Those of you who wish others could read your mind must think it’s Christmas – whether it’s because Zuckerberg seems...
Robot sales in 2016 were the best ever
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Sales of robots, particularly in China, are booming and analysts expect more of the same in 2017. The rise of automation and its impact on jobs has dominated headlines for a while now, whether it’s because Foxconn are cutting 1.2 million jobs, or companies...
Norwegian robot learns to self-evolve and 3D print itself in the lab
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF For the first time we are seeing how it’s possible for robots in the future to design and evolve, manufacture and assemble themselves without human input. Experts at the University of Oslo, Norway have discovered a new way for robots to design, evolve and manufacture...
