Design:
- 3D printing isn't all it's cracked up to be for producing things like consumer goods. But for niche, high-performance product categories it can be a godsend.This article does a good job laying out how falling printing costs, improved technologies and industry insider knowledge can combine for huge product improvements in small markets.
Body/Image:
- Apparent workers in the U.S. have become so sedentary that we need a new type of pants that help us to not move, comfortably. The rise of inactive wear is upon us.
- Louis Vuitton's latest ad campaign model is videogame character. Not sure whether fashion fully embracing literally unrealistic beauty standards is a step forward or step back.
Building Things:
- The Marine Corps doesn't like the robots it got for Xmas this year from Boston Dynamics because they are too loud, among other things.
- 3D printing lots of tiny little parts for the movie Anomalisa.
Big Business:
- Regulations are finally coming to do away with the needlessly damaging scourge of tiny plastic beads.
- The biggest meatpacking company in the world is betting heavily on robots. Considering production butchery hits the three D's of to-be-automated work pretty squarely (dull, dirty and dangerous) it's a more natural fit for automation than many other industries that have already made big steps to introduce robots into their labor mix.
Drones:
- Using drones to inspect structures. Given some prominent infrastructure failures of recent history and costs of human inspection teams, it could save lives and money.
- North Dakota is striving to build a drone industry on the back of its open spaces and aviation resources. Our resident midwesterner thinks their biggest obstacle will be getting top talent to relocate the great plains as the companies outgrow what can be supplied by the local labor pool.
More next week.