This week, we bring you smarter tools for fabrication, a better way to make graphene, and more.
The center of the origami-inspired, etched paper ring above keeps its
shape even as pressure is applied, helping to protect what’s contained within it. Developed
by researchers at the University of California, Merced, the precision-folded
object relies on a structure applied to the material rather than its inherent strength and explores the potential for making lightweight materials more durable.
[New Scientist]
Toolmaker Bosch’s new portable table saw can distinguish a finger from a piece of wood and stop the blade without ruining it. The jobsite equipment uses a piston release, instead of a brake, to drop the blade and move it out of the way before it comes in contact with a body part. [Gizmag]
Two undergraduates at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., found a way to put out fire
with sound, rather than water or foam. For their senior research project, the
electrical and computer engineering majors used bass waves to displace oxygen, helping
to keep a fire from reigniting. [The
Washington Post]
Caltech researchers say they’ve found a way to mass-produce graphene—the ultra-thin and super-strong nanomaterial discovered in 2004—faster and at a higher quality than was previously possible. The batch-processing method could spell a future for graphene in a range of applications, including architectural materials. [Popular Mechanics]
Following
last
week’s announcement of Carbon3D’s novel 3D printing process, a new startup has emerged with what is billed as a faster and higher quality form of
additive manufacturing. Gizmo 3D uses technology called direct light processing
to render objects from a liquid resin based on the projection of an image. [3dprint.com]
Homepage image courtesy Evan Cantwell/George Mason University