The BuildUp | It's a Bird! It's a Drone! It's Both!
Like many people during the great “stay home” period of 2020, I’ve become interested in birdwatching only within the last few years. VIEW THIS EMAIL IN BROWSER
Like many people during the great “stay home” period of 2020, I’ve become interested in birdwatching only within the last few years. I’m no expert, but I can now identify our common backyard birds by sight, recognize when something new or migratory appears at the feeder, and even know a handful of their calls.
While I’m happy to see most birds in my backyard, I recognize there are other places where they are not welcome or safe, for instance vineyards, airfields and industrial plants. But birds are intelligent creatures, and they can become habituated to all kinds of tactics used to scare them away from these locations. Lasers or gas cannons or old-school scarecrows might work for a while, but the birds will eventually learn that these don’t pose a real danger and return anyway.
There is one thing that seems to consistently discourage problem birds, however, and that’s other birds — specifically, birds of prey. The Drone Bird Company has developed a battery-powered drone that looks and flies like a peregrine falcon. The product is enabled, in part, by a 3D printed fuselage made from a specialized glass-filled polymer that keeps the weight low while also simplifying production. The mimic raptor taps into other birds’ instincts to flee from a predator, and has proven to be effective at scaring away various species, including starlings and geese in a humane fashion. Learn much more about the development and manufacturing of the Drone Bird in this month’s episode of The Cool Parts Show.
Below: 8 3D Printed Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season
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A packaging solutions company in Germany identified more than 100 out of 2,000 potential replacement parts that it could more efficiently provide using additive manufacturing and a digital warehouse.
Ceramic mugs. MadexBinary 3D prints with clay to build up mugs, cups and other household objects. The printed parts are fired in a kiln and glazed just like standard ceramics.
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Smart ski goggles. You might already know Rekkie for the company’s recent appearance on Shark Tank, but you might not know that 3D printing is integral to building these ski goggles with an integrated heads-up display (HUD). The enclosure that holds all the necessary electronics is assembled from several 3D printed parts.
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A little something sweet. Sugar Lab offers “drink drops,” bonbons, marshmallows and more to add some extra cheer to whatever’s in your glass this holiday season. The company’s intricately shaped and vibrantly colored edible products are 3D printed from food-grade powdered ingredients on a 3D printer designed specifically for this purpose.
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Customizable chain link bracelet. Technology provider 3DEO collaborated with designer Jenny Wu to create the Link Bracelet for her Lace line. The printed metal bracelet links are available in three finishes and the size can be adjusted by adding or removing links that connect through a ball joint.
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Topographic map. The SmartMapps Consulting Etsy shop provides maps 3D printed with sandstone (via Shapeways) that model real-world landmarks. Your gift recipient can own a scaled-down version of their favorite national park, a crater on the Moon or a custom location of your choosing.
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Made-to-order bike helmet. KAV’s line of Kaze bike helmets have been certified for safety by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and are sized to fit each rider. The helmets are 3D printed to order using a specialized polycarbonate material developed just for this application.
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Designer lighting. Think of Gantri like Etsy for 3D printed lighting — except that the company doesn’t sell its own designs. Instead, its online store showcases the creations of independent designers, and Gantri handles the manufacturing and shipping.
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Bonus: Youth dirt bike. Ok, this one isn’t fully 3D printed but Cobra Moto manufactures its electric motorcycles using a combination of 3D printed polymer and metal parts. 3D printing was initially a way to quickly iterate this new product line (previous bikes have had gas engines), but many of the parts are still printed now that the EV bikes are in production.
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