When Voxel8, the 3D printing company started by Harvard Professor Jennifer Lewis (check out our interview with Professor Lewis here), showed up at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2015, they quickly won over the hearts of those looking to 3D print with a functional purpose, and was named by some as one of the top ideas displayed at the entire trade show. The Voxel8 team was able to steal last year’s show with their multi-material 3D printing demonstrations, showcasing their conductive printing ink and printed electronics, creating functional objects fresh off of their advanced 3D printers. From the biomedical industry to defense companies, the Voxel8 ‘Developer’s Kits’ are the ideal tool for industrial applications that call for electronic components and conductive materials.
Prof. Lewis and her team are wooing CES attendees yet again this week at CES 2016, taking place in Las Vegas from January 6th to the 9th. Though Voxel8 3D printers may seem most fit for more industrial-grade endeavors, the products being showcased at this year’s event look to be as fun as they are functional. Voxel8 is displaying a Wireless Power disk, a Quadcopter, and an Embedded Watch, all of which were fully created with their advanced 3D printers and materials. All three of these items showcase the vast potential and convenience of Voxel8 technology. The ‘Wireless Power’ for example, is a 3D printed electronic disk that uses a printable silver coil in order to light up an LED light when placed on a wireless charger. What makes such a small project so significant is the fact that the every component of the disk was printed right on the spot, tying 3D printing technology and electronics together into one simplified process.
In addition to the Wireless Power disk, Voxel8 will also showcase their Embedded Watch at CES 2016. The 3D printed watch was created with PLA and their conductive ink, and also contains an embedded micro-controller and LEDs that are inserted during the printing process. After taking the Embedded Watch off the Voxel8 3D printer, all that is needed for the watch to be fully functional is a coin cell battery, which is easily inserted and removed from the back of the watch. The final outcome is a sleek and futuristic electronic watch, which tells time through the blinking of the embedded LED lights.
Perhaps the most complex of Voxel8’s CES 2016 showcase is the Quadcopter, which is made of PLA, conductive silver ink, and a PCB circuit board that is inserted mid-print. Linked through magnetic connections, the embedded PCB and 3D printed silver ink interlink to create a flyable drone almost instantly after the print operation is complete. As Lewis and her team at Voxel8 attempt to amaze CES 2016 attendees once again, their approach this year seems to consist of products that are both cool and conductive, applicable and awe-inspiring, or to put it in layman’s terms, functional and just plain, old fun.
Check out how these CES 2016 displayed products were made on Voxel8’s 3D printer in the videos below!
