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"3D printers have been around for quite some time, but they\u2019ve yet to see the light of day when it comes to a practicality, both in size and cost.  But all that could change with a recent innovation from\u00A0The Vienna University of Technology.\r\n\r\nA joint effort produced by both the Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Research teams at The Vienna University of Technology has yielded a functioning 3D printer that weighs just 1.5 kilos (3.3 lbs.), measures less than the size of a shoebox, and has a projected cost of around 1,200 EU ($1,700).\r\n\r\nThe printer works around a simple principle: the object to be produced is printed from a 3D image file (converted to an .stl format) in a small tube filled with the developed synthetic resin.  This resin is then in turn exposed to light at precise points.  Wherever the resin has been illuminated, it hardens to a layer less than a twentieth of a millimeter thick, allowing for extraordinary precision.\r\n\r\nWhat separates this 3D printer from its predecessors is the use of light emitting diodes (LED), which have allowed for high intensity discharge lighting focused on highly specific locations.  Upon viewing the mandatory covering that accompanies the printer, I asked Vienna researcher Klaus\u00A0Stadlmann if there was any particular danger in using the object.  \u201CNot at all.  The reason for the protective cover is actually not for the user, but for the resin.  Naturally, this resin is very sensitive to light, so this cover filters out the UV rays that the LEDs produce, thus affecting the resin.\u201D\r\n\r\nWatch our demo with the printer below:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe micro-3D printer is capable of producing a 1 cm object per hour, \u201Cbut this is independent from the base area,\u201D explains Stadlmann.  \u201CIt\u2019s really dependent upon the dimensions of the object to be produced in a set direction, or number of layers you want to build.  We\u2019ve yet to optimize this process though, as this device is simply meant to demonstrate that the technology can be produced at this micro level.\u201D\r\n\r\nAnd while it might take some time to speed up the process, based on what the printer is capable of, a number of biologist and physicians are quite interested in 3D printing technology.  It might not quite be regeneration science, but Stadlmann and Co. have successfully demonstrated that objects produced with their printer could be used as a basis for the natural growth of bone within the human body.\r\n\u201CUsing a standard technique, you can not go \u2018inside\u2019 the material.  We can now create the dense outer structure of the cortical bone, as well as the internal structures that could support life,\u201D adds Stadlmann.  Naturally, inserting any foreign objects into the human body could lead to a rejection, specifically of the chemical type.  \u201CYes, this is something that our colleagues in the chemistry department are working on.  Ideally, we\u2019re aiming for a compound that\u2019s structural enough to help the body repair, but then 3-4 weeks later has naturally dissolved and leaves no remnants in the body.&amp;quot;\r\nTo be clear, this innovation from The Vienna University of Technology is not designed to crank out any replacements for the Star Wars action figure set mom pitched when you left for college, but rather, it offers the opportunity to produce tailor-made, specialty items on very small scale.  Stadlmann points to practical applications in the health and medical fields as noted above, specialized parts replacements, or even self-designed jewelry, custom printed within a few hours.\r\n\r\nWhen asked about the origins of the project, Stadlmann admits that the micro-printer has a non-typical backstory.  \u201CI usually work with lasers, and other technology, and the main laser for a project was somehow broken.  I spoke to my doctoral adviser, and said, \u2018Well, I have the time now\u2026let\u2019s do it.\u2019  The only condition was that my advisor wanted it in time for Christmas.\u201D  From then on out, Stadlmann\u2019s story reads like a page from every great investors checklist, with weekends, evenings, and holidays spent building the worlds smallest 3D printer prototype.\r\n\r\nBefore eagle eyed techheads start pointing out the RS232/Serial connectors on the back of the device, I asked Stadlmann about the connectivity, and why not a USB or even Thunderbolt connection? \u201CIt actually is a USB connection from the computer to the printer.  The signal is simply converted by a cable to a D-sub connector.  No worries, if we start shipping, the cable will be included.\u201D\r\n\r\nSound like something you'd want in your house? You'll have to wait a little longer for the future of 3D home printing to arrive."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/eu/2011/05/24/introducing-the-worlds-smallest-most-affordable-3d-printer/>