Toggle light / dark theme

The technology, which has been tested in the lab, could ultimately be used for manufacturing and building in difficult-to-access or dangerous locations such as tall buildings or help with post-disaster relief construction, say the researchers.

3D printing is gaining momentum in the . Both on-site and in the factory, static and print materials for use in , such as steel and .

This new approach to 3D printing—led in its development by Imperial and Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories of Materials Science and Technology—uses flying robots, known as , that use collective building methods inspired by natural builders like bees and wasps who work together to create large, intricate structures.

The drones will help the construction industry in hard-to-reach and dangerous places.

Consider the drone bees. These bees, which probably gave their name to today’s drones, are also may have inspired by their physical features. Let’s learn how.

Researchers from Imperial College London and Empa have created a fleet of bee-inspired flying drone printers for 3D printing buildings.

The world has experienced a technological leap in the last decade. Innovations such as smartphones and tablets, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain are coming with us. As is well known, these technologies have become indispensable, not only causing hype in one or the other but also permanently changing our daily lives and ways of working. Will this development slow down? I do not think so, the exact opposite. In the next 10 years, you can expect even more breakthroughs than you can imagine today.

Bionic technology is removing physical barriers faced by disabled people while raising profound questions of what it is to be human. From DIY prosthetics realised through 3D printing technology to customised AI-driven limbs, science is at the forefront of many life-enhancing innovations.

Support the Guardian ► https://support.theguardian.com/contribute.

Today in Focus podcast ► https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus.

Sign up for the Guardian documentaries newsletter ► https://www.theguardian.com/info/2016/sep/02/sign-up-for-the…ies-update.

The Guardian ► https://www.theguardian.com.

The Guardian YouTube network:

The Clemson Composites Center is developing new ways of 3D-printing low-cost manufacturing tools and is funding the research with $5.16 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and industry partners. Collaborators on the project include Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Ohio State University and Additive Engineering Solutions, LLC.


The Clemson Composites Center is leading a new study that could help manufacturers save time and money while reducing their environmental impact– a project that adds to the center’s fast-growing portfolio of industry-guided automotive and advanced manufacturing research.

The team is developing new ways of 3D-printing low-cost manufacturing tools and is funding the research with $5.16 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and industry partners. Collaborators on the project include Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Ohio State University and Additive Engineering Solutions, LLC.

The project will be based in the Clemson Composites Center’s cutting-edge facility in Greenville, South Carolina, placing it in the heart of a state where advanced manufacturing is a cornerstone of the economy.

They created a cylindrical prototype resembling a Chia pet.

We can observe how far the architecture has progressed with the developing technology today. Referring to this, we have even seen houses made with 3D printing technology.

Now, a group of scientists from the University of Virginia is raising the bars of 3D printing technology by producing 3D-print soil structures which can grow plants on their surfaces.

A future kitchen appliance could make it possible to 3D-print entirely new recipes and cook them with lasers.

That is the long-term vision at Columbia University’s Creative Machines Lab, an engineering group that uses insight from biology to research and develop autonomous systems that “create and are creative.” The engineers have spent years working to digitize and automate the cooking process.


A recent study suggests that future kitchen appliances could make it possible to 3D-print entirely new recipes and cook them with lasers.