Things just got weirder. It’s called Mataerial and it looks like it came from the future. This 3D printer actually prints in three dimensions. You might think: huh, doesn’t a conventional 3D printer also print in 3D dimensions? Well, yes. But a normal 3D printer does this in layers so actually prints 2D slices upon eachother which creates a 3D object. This printer skips that step and directly prints in three dimensions. Take a look at this video and be amazed.
“This patent-pending method allows for creating 3D objects on any given working surface independently of its inclination and smoothness, and without a need of additional support structures,” the designers write.
“This method gives us a flexibility to create truly natural objects by making 3D curves instead of 2D layers. Unlike 2D layers that are ignorant to the structure of the object, the 3D curves can follow exact stress lines of a custom shape. Our new out of the box printing method can help manufacture structures of almost any size and shape.”
This is a project run by Petr Novikov, Saša Jokić and Joris Laarman. They call this printing method “Anti-Gravity Object Modelling”. The ‘arm’ prints thick cables of plastic that harden instantly on contact with air in any shape, and in any direction. Read more about the printer and the team here.
h/t: Wired