Futurist Thomas Frey: All the way back in March of 2004, working in his laboratory at the University of Southern California in San Diego, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis, was working with a new process he had invented called Contour Crafting to construct the world’s first 3D printed wall.
His goal was to use the technology for rapid home construction as a way to rebuild after natural disasters, like the devastating earthquakes that had recently occurred in his home country of Iran.
While we have still not seen our first “printed home” just yet, that will be coming very soon. Perhaps within a year. Commercial buildings will soon follow.
For an industry firmly entrenched in working with nails and screws, the prospects of replacing saws and hammers with giant printing machines seems frightening. But getting beyond this hesitancy lies the biggest construction boom in all history.
Quote of the Day – “My belt holds my pants up, but the belt loops hold my belt up. I don’t really know what’s happening down there. Who is the real hero?” – – Mitch Hedberg
These one-wheeled, self-balancing personal transport solutions, the fat wheeled eniCycle, the stylish and graceful U3 from Honda or the slightly scary prospect of the UnoMoto, have all shared more in common. They’ve all had somewhere for the user to sit. Inventist’s Solowheel is a little different – you ride this electric unicycle standing upright, like a Segway or skateboard. It has a useful carry handle and fold-away foot platforms, is gyro-stabilized and the Li-ion batteries offer a range of about 12 miles between charges. (Pics)
A forest will soon be planted in the sky in Milan, Italy. Construction is underway for a pair of skyscrapers that will become home to the world’s first vertical forest. (Pics)
Sony’s Authenticated Power Outlet system currently consists of a plug and outlet that communicate wirelessly.
A power outlet that can identify devices plugged into it, as well as individuals using the plug has been developed by Sony. The company says such technology could allow the electricity usage of individual devices to be monitored so non-essential devices could be switched off remotely in the event of limited electricity supply, or for the billing of customers charging their electric vehicles or mobile devices in public places. (Pics and video)
Engineer Vs. Designer, a design blog has challenged the 3D printing community to create “the most absurd 3D-printable iPhone accessory” one can imagine (and, in turn, have a chance to win a MakerBot Replicator). The result? A whole basket-load of crazy. (Pics)
It was all fun and games until he had to start eating giant regurgitated worms.
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Quote of the Day: “I’m a heroine addict. I need to have sex with women who have saved someone’s life. Hmmm, I’m gonna fix that last joke by taking out all the words and adding new ones.” – – Mitch Hedberg
The genetically modified fish were originally bred to help detect environmental pollutants.
The latest must try food craze to hit America is sushi that glows in the dark. The sushi was inspired by genetically modified fish first bred for scientific research, a video showing how to make the glowing sushi has become a huge hit online. (Pics and video)
We’ve seen some pretty awesome Lego creations in the past, including a Volkswagen van, Angry Birds, and even the heart of the Large Hadron Collider. But what about Lego inventions that actually work? Here are some of our favorite, fully functional Lego creations. (pics and videos)
Did you ever wonder when you were a child what it would be like to walk on the ceiling? If you did, you are probably among the millions who, even as adults, continue to be enchanted by the idea of an upside-down house. (Pics)