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Motorless swimming robot uses 3D printed shape memory polymers to propel itself in water Research & Education

In a proof-of-concept study, researchers from ETH Zurich and Caltech in Pasadena, CA have demonstrated a new propulsion system for motorless swimming robots. Unlike traditional aquatic mechanisms which rely on propellants or engines to move in water, the swimming robots—made entirely from 3D printed parts—use fluctuations in water temperature to propel themselves.

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Aminimal designer John Briscella’s 3D printed shoe concept takes next step in digital design Consumer Products

John Briscella is a former Autodesk Pier 9 resident designer (like Anouk Wipprecht and other 3D printing celebs) who has been experimenting with some advanced generative design capabilities for a growing range of consumer products. He has since launched Aminimal, his and his design partner’s Lana Blum’s online shop for parametrically designed 3D printed jewelry, and his own design studio for generatively designed 3D printed furniture. This generatively designed shoe, built using nTopology software, is one of John Briscella’s latest concepts and shows the direction that his design style is taking for a growing range of consumer products.

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How a 3D printed brain model is teaching UK students about mental health Research & Education

Chanua Health, a healthcare innovation company working out of Liverpool’s technical innovation center Sensor City, recently turned to 3D printing technologies to help educate young students about the importance of mental health. Working with support from Sensor City, Chanua Health 3D printed an interactive brain model that teaches students about different parts of the brain and about mental health in a stigma-less way.