Recently, I moved out of my country for the first time in 27 years and I am sure you can understand how difficult it must have been for me to change all of my eating habits. I come from India, a country that typically cooks with an abundance of spices, as compared to my new home, Spain, which usually cooks with a low amount of spices. It’s nice to experience and appreciate different foods, but sometimes each of us crave the food that we grew up with. I am so glad to be born in an era of technology where I can create almost anything I want.

So, we have this technology of 3D printing which is rapidly growing, not only disrupting the traditional manufacturing processes and buildings but also revolutionizing the way we cook, or print, foods.  I am not talking hypothetical, this is now reality. Starting in late 2012, a few companies launched their research in the market, seeking for funds to come up with the final product. With the help of crowdfunding, a few of those plans to launch real marketable 3D food printers: Dovetaileds Nufood being a unique product in the space.  This machine uses flavored liquid drops that are printed to create edible flavors. 

Currently, chefs and foodies are using this machine to create "juicy bites" that add flavors to culinary dishes. This is impacting the food industry in a big way...it is allowing people to be more creative with new dishes and helping bring flavors from around the world into your kitchen.  In addition, the 3D food printing advancements are increasing the prospect to be able to eat sushi or Italian pizza in your own home and not having to travel to the respective restaurants.

The idea of 3D printed food is also being used by armed forces and astronauts for many purposes including printing food in severe terrestrial and non-terrestrial terrains. For the general consumer, the acceptance of 3D printing your food is really unpredictable and will depend upon the price, comfort and many other factors as well....only time will tell if consumers will be comfortable eating something that comes from a printer.  I know I can’t wait to have one of these at my apartment to be able make food that takes me back the flavors of home.

Would you consider buying a 3D Food Printer to satisfy your cravings? 

Photo Credit: Nufood  

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Last night I went out for a drink with a couple of friend and it was supposed to be a one drink evening... After the first drink, we didn’t feel tired enough to go home so we just ordered another one. Once again, it end up to be a trap!!! Today I had so many things to do but I could get anything done because of my two friends: headache and hangover. Thanks to Google, in the near future, this is not going to happen anymore.

Google just revealed an amazing and disruptive innovation. Say goodbye to the google glasses and other unaesthetic accessories. The internet leader just posted a patent last Tuesday for a new contact lens. The lens is worn like any ordinary contact lens and is able to communicate with electronic devices.

The lenses provide a lot of information about the human body like body temperature, the amount of sugar one has consumed, information about the environment, analysis of objects you are seeing but most importantly, it can measure blood alcohol levels!!! Here we are! The lenses can be connected to any devices and can tell you if you should go home or not. An app on your phone could also book a cab to go back home before your wife starts to worry about you. One can also imagine some more radical solution like your credit card blocked in any bar for the rest of the night…All this by knowing your blood alcohol level.  It is a bit like the software “cold turkey” and knows what you need before you do…

Smart contact lenses will definitely be a part of our future.

So what is your opinion, would you put your finger in your eyes before going to a bar to make sure you get home okay and can function the next day? Do you see any other business opportunity this can start? Do you think Google will be able to use the lenses to show you and advanced reality?

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Today I’d like to share with you what is in(novative) for me. But before to do so, let me ask you a question. Would you donate an organ to somebody? What a sensitive topic! We might all want to save lives and do some good but it’s really hard when it is about giving a part of ourselves. Maybe in a couple of years, we won’t have to ask ourselves this question. As you already know, the business of 3D printers is in a huge expansion. According to Kenneth Wong, an analyst from the City, the 3D printing market is going to triple by 2018. As you may not know, this business impacts, not only the world of inert objects, but also the field of living.

Last month, a 54 years old cancer patient received in a Spanish clinic a 3D-printed sternum and ribs. The sternum has been produced by the Lab 22 in Australia, a country where the government support printing center.


The patient had a rare a malignant tumor in his chest and his rib cage. Unfortunately, the sternum is a really complex part of the human body. Indeed, it has to let you breathe and at the same time it has to protect your internal organs, such as your lungs, and your heart…Moreover, the Lab 22 using a high precise 3D printer, which enables the printing of a tailor made sternum. This reduces the risk of complications after the operation.

 Fortunately, the operation went smoothly and the patient could go home a couple of weeks later.

This premiere raises the question of the generalization of 3D printing in the medical field. Last August, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved for the first time a 3D printed drug. This can have huge economic consequences and boost the industry of 3D printers.The market is going to boom during the next few years.

The next logical step would be the creation and the transplantation of organs. Some company are already talking about transferring 3D printed organs. However this raise a lot of issue, ethical and technic but could also solve the problem of the lake of organs which will be discussed in a follow up post.

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There’s only one day a year when I’m crazy enough to purposefully set my alarm for 4:30AM…

For Christmas comes but once a year!

After only being married for two months, I know children will be part of my near future. There will be first words, first steps, first days of school, birthdays ... and, of course, the anxious wait for the morning of December 25th and the presents it brings!

Being from Nicaragua, though, I often wondered as a child how Santa manages to bring his gifts to households around the globe. He faces some serious logistical difficulties! And the world’s population is growing! By the time my children are up waiting for Santa and his gifts, his sleigh will just not suffice.

But what if…

What if Santa had his own little workshop in the home of every well-behaved young boy and girl?

Wouldn’t this be a big relief for him? ... for Rudolph? Donner? and Blitzen? Parents making toys as his elves!

Imagine if parents could 3D print any toy a boy or girl wished for right in their own homes. Barbie dolls ready to style within the hour. Hot Wheels Cars ready to roll within minutes. The Avengers ready to save the world in seconds.

You might be thinking it would cost thousands (if not tens of thousands) of dollars to make this come true. However, that’s not necessarily the case!

As 3D printing technology advances and new 3D printer suppliers enter the market, prices will fall, allowing this technology to be accessible and affordable to the general public.

The 3D printing technology will bring back the element of surprise that has been lost in many households. I for one remember sneaking into my parents’ closet and searching for my holiday gifts, only to rob myself of the Christmas morning surprise. 

3D printing has the power to revive the magic of Christmas!

No longer will Tickle-Me-Elmo (1996) and Furby (1998) be sold out on Christmas day. They will both be waiting for you— online, in your email account.

Do you think StarWars lightsabers will be in stock this at Toys R Us Christmas once Episode VII opens in theaters come December 19^th? May the force be with you… (It’s already out of stock)

So how many Christmas seasons away are we from 3D Gift Printing?

Would you allow Santa to establish a workshop in your home?

Do you think Hasbro, Mattel, and Lego are up for this?

Come on Santa…

Just download…

Now print.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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I have been amazed by 3D printing since I first heard about it.  How could a machine actually print something three dimensional without needing a mold or tons of equipment?  I still have a hard time actually wrapping my head around 3D printing technology, but 3D printers are being used by different types of industries and even available to purchase for home use.  I have seen many uses for 3D printed objects and how they can benefit - the sciences by making new tools, architects by making small scale models for houses, jewelers for making proto-types of jewelry …the list goes on and on. All the products that I had seen a 3D printer used for were on the smaller scale until I recently came across an article for a 3D printed house.  What?  You can actually press “print” and a structure that someone could live in would be created?  This seemed absolutely impossible but I have now learned that companies, researchers and engineers are experimenting with new technologies to print 3D houses.

How it works.

I have come across a few different projects working on 3D printed houses; one being The 3D PrintCanal House based in Amsterdam, a company called WinSun located in China and researchers at University of Nantes(IRCCyN) based in France that are testing technology to print 3D Houses.  There are of course more companies working on projects like this but I found the most articles on these in my Google search. 

Each company has a slightly different way in printing the house.  The 3D Print Canal house is using a printer called Kamermaker.  This printer, prints the structure in pieces and then the pieces are assembled to create the house.  WinSun also uses a similar printing style.  On the other hand, the University in France is testing out a printer called INNOPrint 3D that prints the structure all at once.  The printer uses an articulated arm that makes this possible.

Materials Used.

Bioplastics and other recycled materials are being used to print the structures, which means the resources needed to produce the house are cheaper, environmentally friendly and produce less waste than a traditionally constructed house.  In addition, there are less transportation costs with printing a house than shipping raw materials which helps save money.

Speed.

A huge benefit using a 3D printer is the speed that they are able to produce a structure.  WinSun printed 10 200-meter homes in less than 24 hours and INNOPrint 3D printed a house in just 30 minutes.  With this sort of speed, when disasters hit 3D Printed houses can be a great option to provide quick cheep housing to those in need.   

How 3D printed houses stand up to building requirements, wind and other environmental conditions is still being tested but I think it is just a matter of time before we start seeing more buildings that are printed with a printer.

The fact that structures can be build so quickly at a cheaper cost is going to change the way we look at construction and will hopefully provide better housing options for those in need, especially at the time when disaster strikes and buildings that don’t cost a lot are needed in short time frames.

I wonder if it is just a matter of time before I can create my dream home by just pressing print…I guess time will tell.

Photo Courtesy of: 3dprint.com

Video:

INNOPrint 3D at work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyAMVkOdpBs

Related Articles:

http://3dprint.com/81560/innoprint-3d-printed-housing/

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/10/3d-printing-future-disaster-relief-20141016825642208.html

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