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

Snapmaker, based in Shenzhen, has used a modified 3D printer to make coffee. The hardware was made by teaming up with Cocoapress. The 3D printer's usual toolheads were replaced with special coffee delivery toolheads. Drinkers can choose between black coffee or a nondairy creamer. Started in 2014, Cocoapress is a small company that specializes in custom chocolate 3D printing.

Researchers at Northwestern University have created 3D printed neurons that can signal real brain cells and receive a response back. Human neurons carry signals through the brain, managing everything from memory to movement. The challenge was to 3D print something that could also send signals and interact with living brain cells. The scientists used aerosol jet printing to develop tiny nanoscale efficient networks that would behave like neurons. The ultimate goals are to produce more complex brain-machine interfaces; from those, better neuroprosthetics, a field called neuromorphic computing.

A team at Rice University has come up with a radar sensor the size of an orange that could make autonomous vehicles safer. The low-powered roadside sensor can be installed on existing systems like traffic signals and streetlights. Currently self-driving vehicles have difficulty navigating in low-light, can be blinded by glare, and fail completely when faced with hail, dust, or fog. These limitations mean that they can miss a pedestrian moving out from behind a truck or a cyclist approaching from an unexpected angle. The new system, called EyeDAR, uses a 3D printed Luneburg lens made from resin that works like a retina when combined with an antenna array. The new lens carries more than 8,000 tiny elements that guide incoming radar waves to precise spots on the sensor, pinpointing the direction of obstacles 200 times faster than standard software-heavy radar systems. EyeDAR doesn't only see - it communicates as well.

Firmah Architecture and construction company ICON are collaborating on a 450-acre community in Texas that will include 88 3D printed homes set around 2 artificial surf lagoons. Called Desperado, the complex will feature 44 free-standing homes, 44 duplex townhouses, and a main lodge building. The design aesthetic will use gently curved walls and rounded corners, with trails through the old- growth forest.

One of the drawbacks of 3D printing to date has been slow print speeds. A new method announced by researchers at China's Tsinghua University claims to reduce that limitation to just one second. The process, called DISH, or "digital incoherent synthesis of holographic light fields", relies on volumetric 3D printing and does away with the standard layering approach. Basically it 3D prints millimeter-scale objects using a unique rotating periscope along with a specialized lens for post-production. It also works with a variety of materials.

Typically 3D printed robots consume 20% of their energy for movement, limiting their usefulness in remote or difficult terrains. Scientists from Cranfield University in the U.K. have launched a wind-powered prototype that eliminates this difficulty. Called WANDER-bot, it does away with battery-powered locomotion, replacing it with natural wind energy that functions even in extreme environments. This method does not require cameras, on-board sensors, solar power or nuclear generators. Its design is "print-as-you-go", meaning its parts can be made or replaced on-site.

PolyFab, the consumer arm of Chinese 3D printing company PollyPolymer, prints an entire shoe as a seamless single structure. They use no glue, stitching, or separate soles. With proprietary resin 3D printers, they can output 4 pairs of shoes in 1 hour, amounting to 3.5 million pairs annually. The method is similar to that used by Carbon, the Adidas company, although Carbon prints for others while PolyFab sells directly to consumers. This article goes on to describe the plus and minus features of these new shoes.

The Pentagon wants to "pivot" toward AI-powered warfare with a request for $45 billion USD. This request would increase funding by more than a hundred fold for an autonomous drone warfare system and represents half of the entire defense system of the U.K. The request also highlights a dispute with Anthropic, which wanted no part of its algorithms used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous lethal weapons.

Engineers at MIT have developed a new tool that visualizes how 3D printed objects will look before they are fabricated. The method aims to prevent the production of faulty prototypes that need to be destroyed. At present, it is estimated that as much as 30% of 3D printed materials ends up in landfill when they fail to meet expectations. The new process uses a screenshot of the digital design, including color, gloss, and translucency, and a generative AI model that shows the object's geometry and the slicing path of the nozzle. Visiprint was created with Princeton University and the Gwangiu Institute of Science and Technology.

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 2026