3d illusion arts: Walyou

Walyou

3D-Printed Shelter and EV Share Power Wirelessly

Posted: 13 Oct 2015 01:45 PM PDT

3D Printed House and Electric Vehicle 01

Even though there have been several concepts in the past that brought together electric vehicles and shelters, none was as close to reality as the project of researchers from US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Bringing homes and electric vehicles together is essential for a green future. Now, the shelter and the EV developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory might not take home any design prizes, but the fact that they are both 3D printed makes them even more environmentally-friendly. Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AIME), as the researchers have called this concept, is meant to lead to an even more integrated future.

AIME was created using the world’s largest 3D printer, which has 3D printed vehicles in the past. However, the point wasn’t to demonstrate the printer’s capability of outputting cars, but to show how the future could look like. Resembling a convertible Humvee, the 3D printed EV provides room for two occupants, while the large back compartment includes the battery and the motor.

The vehicle is entirely electric, but mileage isn’t exactly its strongest point, having a range of only 35 miles per charge. Assuming that the EV can be charged both at home and at work, the range would be great for commuting. Being powered by a single traction motor and a transmission to the rear wheels only, the car isn’t adequate for off-road trips, either. Sure, it won’t pose a threat to Tesla’s cars anytime soon, but on the other hand, this one is 30% carbon fiber-reinforced ABS plastic, and only took the 3D printer around 20 hours to create it.

The 3D printed shelter, on the other hand, has a very industrial look to it. As a matter of fact, looking at it from the inside out, it resembles a cargo container. The only thing that saves the appearances is the massive central block that includes a display and a micro-kitchen, with a faucet and sink. The multiple segments that combine to form the shelter feature a pair of small windows on one side. After all, natural light is essential for people’s wellbeing, so assuming that in the near future we’ll get to live in such concept homes, we could use as much of it as possible.

Measuring 201 square feet, the above prototype was 3D printed over the course of four weeks. Some things such as lighting fixtures and appliances are added to the project after the structure is finished. For some, that area may be to small, but the developers of the project pointed out that multiple 3D printed shelters can be bolted together, in order to create a larger living space.

Probably the most interesting aspect about this project is the way the 3D printed EV and house exchange power wirelessly. The two structures share a 6.6kW bi-directional wireless power system that relies on resonant technology to transmit power between the battery, supposing that the car is a few feet away from the shelter. The efficiency is rated at about 85%, so the future looks promising enough.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Gaia Multitool that displays 3D printing’s practicality, or MakerBot’s acquisition of Layer by Layer.

via ExtremeTech

BLOCKS Modular Smartwatch Hits Kickstarter

Posted: 13 Oct 2015 12:45 PM PDT

After two years into development and a promise that it would be launched this year, the Blocks modular smartwatches finally gets a chance to become a reality.

BLOCKS Wearables, the UK-based company behind this modular smartwatch, announced back in March 2014 that it would launch their product this year. This April, when most people had forgotten about that, Pebble showcased its Smartstraps and thus hinted at its plans of making a modular smartwatch. Since that hasn’t happened, yet, we’re going going back to BLOCKS Wearables, who launched today their crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for the world’s first modular smartwatch.

“The development of the Core has been done. Initial designs for Modules are done, components are selected. The Modules are made at prototype stage but the electronics for the Modules for the final product needs to be produced and tested,” explained BLOCKS co-founder Ali Tahmaseb, pointing out that the modular smartwatch is currently in the engineering prototype phase, with a final design ready for testing scheduled for December.

“On the software side, the Android optimizations are mainly done. We have partnered up with a software company with very talented engineers previously in the Google Android team, that are working on even more optimizations and interactions. We have done an initial version of our launcher and menus but are still working on the User Interface.”

The Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign reached its funding goal of $250,000 within a few hours since the project’s launch, so there’s no doubt that BLOCKS will be mass produced. Anyone who has pledged $285 or more (the pledge for early birds was smaller, but those spots are long gone) will receive their modular smartwatch in May 2016. The Core, to which you can later add modules, can be had for $195. Given that the developers have already hit the goal, all that they have to do in the remaining days until the campaign’s end is to add stretch goals. Considering how many modules can be created for a smartwatch, they shouldn’t have problems getting ideas for that.

The first Kickstarter funding phase focuses on five initial modules for additional battery capacity, GPS navitation, heart rate monitor, NFC sensor, and an “adventure module” that transmits to the smartwatch such info as the current altitude, pressure and temperature, details of utter importance for hikers. I’m sure that there will be plenty others coming soon after, making this the only smartwatch you will ever need, as its developers claim, too.

Tahmaseb is quite confident that the company will be able to deliver the modular smartwatches in May 2016: “We have selected components and designs that are reliable, previously tested in other devices, and easy to manufacture. Our ODM has extensive experience in bringing very high quality consumer electronics to market. Our main innovation is in the industrial design, connectors, and communications which have been done by our team. Therefore, it is a good estimate.”

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the BLOCKS modular smartwatch being released in 2015, or the Pebble Smartstraps that paint the future of wearable tech.

via TechCrunch