3D printing

Everytown for Gun Safety is celebrating what it calls a victory: California, described as the world's fourth-largest economy, has become the second US state to require the 3D printer industry to build in safeguards against illegal gun manufacturing. The law is aimed at stopping people from using desktop printers to produce untraceable, homemade firearms, and gun safety advocates are promoting it as a model for other states.

3D printer maker Bambu Lab has partnered with fashion label SUSAN FANG to create 3D-printed pieces shown at London Fashion Week. The collaboration highlights the growing use of 3D printing technology in high fashion, translating the studio's airy, sculptural aesthetic into printed garments or accessories on the runway.

A new open-source project called JBR-001 offers a fully 3D-printable desktop companion robot powered by an Arduino Uno Q. The design and build instructions are published on Arduino's Project Hub, letting hobbyists print, assemble and program the robot themselves. Early reaction on Hacker News is positive, with commenters discussing the accessibility of a printable robot kit and what the Arduino-based platform makes possible for makers.

Jussi Pakkanen, creator of the Meson build system, has been invited by Norwegian Unix user group NUUG to speak in Oslo. His talk, "Building a Super 8 Film Scanner at Home", describes how he repaired a 1970s projector and built a scanner using a Raspberry Pi, stepper motors, 3D-printed parts and machine vision to digitise Super 8 film.

A new open-source project called JBR-001 offers a fully 3D-printable desktop companion robot powered by an Arduino Uno Q. The design and build instructions are published on Arduino's Project Hub, letting anyone download, print and assemble the robot themselves. Makers and hobbyists are sharing the project, praising its accessibility and the growing range of open-source robotics hardware available to home builders.

3D printing is reshaping how robot components are made, allowing engineers to print lightweight parts, complex geometries and custom designs that traditional manufacturing cannot easily produce. New materials and additive design techniques are enabling faster prototyping and more capable robots across industry, healthcare and research, with outlets highlighting practical applications now emerging.

A Frederick County, Maryland business is working on converting plastic waste into filament for 3D printers, offering a recycling solution for a material that is difficult to reuse. The plan pairs local waste collection with the growing demand for 3D printing supplies. Details about the company, its process and timeline have not yet been widely reported, but the idea has drawn local attention as an example of small-scale recycling innovation.

A hobbyist has designed and 3D printed an unusual custom part with a spiral inset featuring an internal grid structure, created in CAD software. The purpose is being kept secret until the wider project is finished and shared. Fellow makers are responding to the technical challenge of modelling the spiral interior.