A look: Zortrax’s 3D printer innovations

Something to pass along, I started following a new company called Zortrax that specializes in 3D printers. They have some interesting stories and are launching their next top 3D printer in the U.S. soon.

A couple of their 3D printer stories: Thanks to 3D printing technology, club-goers at the Heaven Club in Warsaw, Poland were recently able to ring in the summer by dancing to a beat literally generated by their own heartbeats. As part of the Heartbeats Project finale, the leading global manufacturer of integrated 3D printing solutions, Zortrax, teamed up with DJ and music producer Piotr Bejnar to bring this unique performance to life by using music based on the audience’s live-captured heartbeats. The secret behind this groundbreaking event was the pulse-monitoring bracelets custom-designed and created by the Zortrax M200 3D printer. Kyung Yun Choi, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was recently awarded the Judges' Prize: Health by Zortrax for her creation, the Compliant Prosthetic Hand with Sensorimotor Control and Sensory Feedback for Upper-Limb Amputees. Her prosthetic hand caught the attention of judges for its ability to provide a highly functional yet low-cost prosthesis for people with below-elbow amputations. A traditional prosthetic device can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000, but with the help of 3D printing, Choi's was built in less than one week, for under $550. "The contest was a great opportunity to get feedback from people who really want and need this type of device," said Choi. "Our project's main goal is to help provide a more equitable distribution of prosthetic care. If our technology is easily adapted by more people and can improve their quality of life, I can't wait to see the benefits it will bring to the world." Global contestants showed off their 3D imagination and skills by submitting 3D-printed parts, homemade 3D printers, and other 3D printing-related projects for the chance to win a Zortrax M200 printer. Submissions were narrowed down by members of the website Instructables, who voted on their favorite entries during and after the contest. A panel of judges made up of Instructables staff and respected members of the community then rated the finalists using the averages of the ratings to determine the final selection of winners. Zortrax is pushing the boundaries even further by taking what’s best of the Zortrax M200 and putting it into the bigger and better M300. Featuring one of the largest working areas in its class, the M300 promises a whole new world of 3D printing possibilities. For a peek of what’s to come, check this out..