3D Printing News
Note: we are now including articles on plant-based foods in the field of vegan nutrition.

A software maker based in Toronto says that its Houdini animation and simulation software offers superior solutions for modeling and error prevention. I have not tried it, but its website gives detailed suggestions for creating models and converting them into an STL format.

Engineers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow say they can create a 3D printed microscope in less than 3 hours. They used inexpensive 3D printers with an open-source design from a site called OpenFlexure to make the microscope's frame, then added an off-the-shelf camera and a light. The final product was controlled using a Raspberry Pi processor. The team liked the "democratized access" gained at a much lower cost than standard manufacturing. The main element in their scope is the plastic 3D lenses which they have been developing for 3 years. The frame itself was already being used for diagnostic imaging.

In a food innovation challenge, first prize went to a self-healing plant-based rice and beef box. The competition was open to students in the Asia-Pacific area. Students at Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Netherlands' Wageningen University were awarded $3,000. Other prizes were given for a plant-based chocolate, marbled lamb, a plant-based seafood sticky rice, and 3D printed high-protein plant-based octopus legs.

You can now 3D print a small fungal battery that can be thrown in the compost to biodegrade. The battery is made of fungi, cellulose, and carbon. It can be stored dry and then activated with simple sugars and water. Two different kinds of fungi were used, yeast at the anode and white-rot fungus at the cathode. Eventually the engineers think that fungal fuel cells could be used in low-power microcomputers and low-power devices for exploring in outer space,

Sprouts Farmers Markets are now offering mycelium breakfast patties made by Colorado-based Meati Foods. (A web-search describes mycelium as "the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae".) Each patty contains 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, no saturated fat and no cholesterol. The patties come in 2 flavors, original and maple. Meati Foods adds that producing mycelium uses 10 times less land than soy for the same amount of protein. Other plant-based products from Meati Foods include a Classy Cutlet, Crispy Cutlet, Classic Steak, and Southwestern Style Steak.

Engineers at Singapore University of Technology and Design have found a way to continuously upgrade soft robots and thus reduce electronic waste. The new system can handle many different materials, making it useful for consumer electronics as well. The first step is to 3D print a gel support onto the surface of the soft robot. The gel is specifically designed to keep its shape under gravity. Once applied, the technique prints components directly on to the robot's area covered by the gel. The gel functions as a stabilizer and can be removed with water.

Researchers at the University of New Mexico have patented a bendable concrete material described as self-reinforced ultra-ductile cementitious. In order to work, the new material must have enough fiber to stand on its own but must also be able to pass through the printing nozzle without getting stuck. Some of the materials that were tested were fly ash, polyvinyl alcohol, silica fume and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. Eventually the engineers hope that the bendable concrete will help build structures in outer space.

For hundreds of years warriors have been protected by chainmail armor made from interlocking metal rings. Now it is possible to 3D print new flexible yet strong fabrics and even artificial muscles. Scientists have produced a material that won't rip apart and tends to behave in unexpected ways, like contracting the way muscles do and flowing over surfaces like liquids and then becoming rigid when pressure is applied.

For the first time a shoe has been fabricated that is both 3D printed and AI generated. Following on the heels of other shoe experiments like the Croc and the Yeezy, this one, called Syntilay, is being called either "ugly" or "dubious". First the user has to scan both of their feet with a smart phone. Then you have a choice of 5 colors and will spend roughly $150. USD per pair. The shoe is being promoted by a 25-year-old entrepreneur and the 89-year-old founder of Reebok. The two plan to begin by 3D printing a few thousand pairs to test the market.

A new program called Backflip claims to teach AI to think in 3D. It invites users to enter simple queries or photos that will produce high resolution models that can be 3D printed. The company's website says you can output 3D objects in metal, polymer, or carbon fibre.

One note of caution: many companies are using high-tech and confusing language to disguise the fact that plastics are part of their product or their process, especially in the food industry. Buyer beware. Demand an easy-to-understand explanation before you eat or buy.

We review many hundreds of articles each month, culling the most significant for you. We also welcome suggestions from our viewers for products and processes that we may have missed.

c.Corinne Whitaker 2025