Movies and canoes

 The concrete canoe is a staple for civil engineering design for students. Calculations, mix design and strength all play apart in this competition. Jim Smith at Grass Roots Engineering has created 3d printed kayak that is seaworthy. He is an employee of 3d systems and therefore has a leg up on the competition. It took 42 days of printing to create 28 parts. Many say Grass roots has created a work of art. Once again with 3d printing optimization occurs more quickly. So in addition to sandbags being deployed we could also see 3d printers from hobbyists, machine shops and FEMA receive uploads tailored to the area affected, severity and population involved. Easy assembly and rapid response could reduce property damage and save lives. If anticipatory preparations are incorrect then the peices could either be stored or moved to a more critical area. This would remove FEMA outside of the realm of providing trailers and assistance to an agency where you could not only find documents on line for preparations but find digital solutions for your neighborhood. The kayaks can be purposely tailored to your family as you register for alerts.

    I like to contrast my blog posts subject matter. I would like to let you know that Netflix has acquired a 3d documentary called Print the Legend. The documentary managed to sneak by my recent SXSW coverage. It focuses on Makerbot and lesser known Formlabs as they begin to compete with the more established Stratysys and 3d systems. I am excited to soon be able to provide you with a review. Although stock pundits have been preaching its doom recently these companies are receiving positive from both the government and media. These definitely cannot hurt the future outside of the investing side of 3d printed.