How Educational Technology is Reshaping Education: Latest Trends

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

For many years now, we’ve been seeing a gradual, but important shift in the way that people are educated. Gone are the days of notepads, pens and paper notes. Today, students are creating the content on their tablets, they are sending it across intranets, and they are engaging with the class, 24/7 through social media. This is referred to as asynchronous learning.

Far from being the distraction they were originally intended to be, though, digital devices are helping to re-shape the traditional dynamics of education as we know it — they are actually amplifying it.

So, what latest trends and changes can we expect to make a compelling difference to the market in the years to come?

Smart Tech

One of the most obvious innovations we have seen in recent years comes from the rather wonderful Smart technology industry. For example, one tool we might see used in academic study soon is IBM’s Watson device. Watson offers a high-end education tool that addresses and improves the way that people study. This is going to be very important for the long-term growth of the industry, as Watson is known to change the way that people collate data from masses of unmanaged data using artificial intelligence and sophisticated means of analysis.

This is very useful for making sure that the next generations can use technology to find answers that they would have otherwise never received. Even in more limited education functions, new AI toys could be used to manage the growth of younger children and make them more aware of certain interactions.

From making children more aware of their actions and the way they portray themselves, to full on educational aids, smart tech will ensure that the next generation always has a helping hand waiting for them.

The IoT and IoE

A significant element of the web is going to be the Internet of Things. We’re already changing the way we all link together and operate as one today, and the IoT will ensure that this continues. For example, the IoT will enable the rapid growth of virtual classroom learning. IoT will ultimately be a defining factor in shaping the future of the industry. Device interaction will improve and before long it will be easy to take the information garnered in the classroom right to our PCs back at home. The future of learning will involve possessing the means to transmit data as freely and as accurately as possible across the whole group.

Education will benefit from an added layer of depth to the IoT, in which people will be able to make the most of a learning system that brings together various aspects of their day-to-day lives. 

More recently, another somewhat synonymous to IoT concept, introduced by CISCO is the Internet of Everything, defined as "the intelligent connection of people, process, data and things." This philosophy can inform a globalized, expanded notion of internet connections beyond machines. The latter can be meaningful for developing tools such as Educational Management Systems (EMS), which refer to managing the massive data of school records and other administrative functions across the globe, perhaps in a unified way.

VR and AR

Virtual reality and Augmented Reality took a very important step in 2018, with the mainstream release of many headsets by the likes of Sony and HTC leading the way, as well as more research-driven industry applications. Indeed, another option — the Google Cardboard — is expected to deliver exciting new ways of learning. It’s going to change the way that students investigate future careers, which is vital to shaping dreams.

For instance, a profession might sound amazing, but the reality could be very different. VR will re-shape how we evaluate the suitability of a student to take up such a profession. with simulations to estimate the performance of the person under a specific role. It will also help students to determine how suitable they are just by trying it out. Was it everything they thought it was going to be? 

Such possibilities are explored in pilot studies and research experiments across the world. This type of VR and AR applications, will help students to avoid making the wrong choice early in life and failing to come back from it. Many students wind up in major debt, just trying to get into a career path that, when they “make it” resembles the opposite of what they had intended in the first place.

3D Printing

Another major element of education that is likely to change heavily in the near future is the power of 3D Printing. As one of the most powerful industries out there at the moment, it’s beginning to become a very popular way to learn for kids. Nowadays, children can get their hands on the kind of objects and instruments that previously they could only look at in books and dream of holding for real.

From the crown of a king, to the layout of a medieval weapon (blunted, obviously!) children could get a much more authentic appreciation of the world that they read about on the pages of book. This is dangerous, though, as it prevents children from appreciating the true gravity of what they are reading about. The day that 3D printing stops being so prohibitively expensive, will be a good day as it should help people to finally become involved in the industry, thus empowering and educating the next generation.

In Summary...

Whilst understanding the various challenges that the Internet and similar devices present to the education industry, the trends are already here. People are becoming more appreciative of the integration of technology into various forms of education, as most believe it will quickly help to make people more comfortable with technology, as well as working and living in a multimodal and digitally mediated society.

All of the above technological outputs, have been working their way into education for some time — it’s just a matter of time before they are more systematically implemented in classrooms worldwide. Each will play their part in determining a new dawn for education, which can only be a good thing, ensuring that future generations, receive the best and most relevant learning possible.

*by andreascy*

6 Learning Trends Driving Education in a Post-Pandemic Scenario

Posted by Dr Stephania Savva

Description :

Following the surge of the Covid19 pandemic around the globe and with the new school year kicking off in September, the talk around the current and future educational landscape globally is resurfacing once more. Here we have compiled the top 6 learning trends driving education in a post-pandemic scenario and beyond. 

The constantly evolving learning demands and needs of a globalized new millennium challenge the teaching practices and strategies for researchers, policy makers and educators; the mission is to reinvent schools for the 21st century. Working within these realizations, several learning trends for education have emerged in the past few years in an attempt to re-conceptualize education. 

Most of these trends are based in the belief that schooling in the 21st century should be connected to real life experiences, becoming meaningful and relevant for students. In this perspective, students as learners are actively engaged in collaborative project-based learning processes integrated in a curriculum that derives from students’ interests, experiences, talents and diverse skills. The learning trends identified below address these understandings and lead the wind of change in education for the years to come.

1. Blended Learning

One of the buzzwords in the educational community worldwide now is blended learning. The term refers to an instructional strategy where the student learns through at least partly online delivery of instruction and content. Teaching within a blended learning environment implies that there are elements of student control over time, place, path and/or pace. There have been six models identified as characteristic of blended learning: Face-to-Face Driver Model, Rotation Model, Flex Model, Online Lab Model, Self-Blend Model and Online Driver Model. The beneficial attributes of any of these models of blended learning are found in the potential to address students’ needs and variant learning styles through differentiated instruction. Such an approach to teaching allows for teachers to make decisions regarding their teaching strategies that will result in better student performance.

2. Game Based Learning

Another trend in education nowadays is game based learning (GBL), which has been cited as a revolutionized way of utilizing games for learning purposes. In particular, GBL is a teaching approach where students undertake work in a game based learning context often in a virtual environment designed by teachers. The intention is for teachers and students to be immersed in the game, collaborate and take action towards a particular learning goal. The aim is to make learning fun, liven up the classroom by engaging and motivating the students. As this is a growing field with increasing interest, the video game industry should consider pairing with researchers to create games that could be employed by formal learning institutions and align with goals of the curriculum. Theorists stress that there is still a need for developing new technology that supports specific pedagogical functions (e.g. group regulation or project management) for schooling in the postmodern era. What we should be aware however is to find a balance between technological or technical aspects and teaching/learning processes.

3. Maker Education

Student work has been taken to a whole new level with the introduction and gradual implementation of maker education or maker movement in schools, a trend starting from the US. An evolution of experiential learning and hands on learning which has been around for more than half a century, the maker education is an approach that adopts a culture of learning by doing which utilizes current and emerging technological tools such as 3D printing, wearable computing, robotics, and coding tools to drive creativity. The intention is to create makerspaces in classrooms where students are given the expressive freedom and digital tools to invent, build and share their work during the learning process allowing for their talents to nourish. 

4. Deeper Learning

Deeper learning is part of a developing movement in the US for education that emphasizes on the knowledge that students need to successfully engage in 21st century jobs and civic life. The term refers to a set of student educational outcomes that stem from a set of core competencies, which allow for students to develop higher order skills and metacognitive understandings. Such an example of a teaching and learning approach to schooling acknowledges students’ multiple and diverse identities, experiences and capabilities while also equipping them to become the flexible and critical learners required in our contemporary societies. Even these students, who have been characterized as multimodally literate (Davies 2006) or digital natives (Prensky 2001), are not ‘per se’ capable to critical reflect and make advanced cognitive processes in their everyday activities. Using the deeper learning theory could empower students’ critical awareness of and uptake of learning tasks.

5. Design Thinking

Design thinking is an emerging trend for education that seems promising in relation to other approaches such as the maker education movement. Stemming from product design processes, design thinking refers to a creative process where you employ problem solving to reach to meaningful solutions in the classroom, school or community. Environments such as schools that implement design thinking use it as a basis for teaching different subjects through workshops where students become design thinkers by engaging in problem solving, brainstorming and other activities that aim to bring solution to real life situations. At the core of this learning approach is the intention to empower students to feel confident to create for solving realistic problems.

6. Technology Enhanced Learning 

Technology has taken the education world by storm in recent years. Technology enhanced learning is an umbrella term used to describe the use and implementation of technological tools such as smartphones and mobile devices including touchscreen and tablet computers for learning, also known as educational technology. The impact of using mobile digital technologies for example through adoption of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) movement has altered the learning experience for students. Regardless of their background and interests, students nowadays seem to engage in learning more easily when interacting with these devices while they seem relevant to their daily lives where exposure to technology is constant. The interest in educational technology through technology enhanced learning will continue to grow in the coming years. This is driven by the calls for personalized learning and how to encourage a technologically and digitally diverse learning experience which empowers our students. 

The learning trends mentioned in this article are gradually implemented in mainstream education worldwide. The premise is that a more systematic implementation of the above learning theories and practices could transform education for the 21st century.

Hope you found this article interesting, please feel free to let us know your suggestions and what more you would like to see from us. Have a great day!

The 2 Food 3D Printers you Absolutely Need in your Kitchen

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Have you ever watched an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where they used a Replicator to make something out of thin air? Have you ever thought it would be cool to have that technology, but never thought that it would be achieved in your lifetime? 3D printers have made this a possibility and bridged the gap between reality and science fiction. There’s even a few build it yourself and DIY printers that are on the market as well. 

Transforming the Food Industry

In terms of Food 3D Printers for consumers, there are plenty of options available. Right now the technology isn’t as advanced as what was shown on Star Trek, but this is just the early stages. 

 There’s even been talk of bioprinting as an available option; this is the ability to print organic foods like a pear or an apple. The printer “ink” consists of 3 main components found in all foods: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The raw ingredients are loaded into the printer, along with the appropriate ratios of food components; hit print and away you go. There have even been successful attempts at printing meat. The texture isn’t quite there yet but the taste is supposedly spot on. 

The two main hurdles faced by companies at the moment, is the texture/consistency of the food, and cooking the food while it’s being printed. If it’s a hamburger you’re looking for, yes you can have one printed. Just don’t be too surprised when the end result doesn’t look exactly like the burgers you’re used to.

The taste of the food seems to be the easiest to recreate. As long as you know the correct ingredients, your food should taste the same as regular food. The only obvious difference is how the food is put together.

RELATED: Forget plastic - Bocusini 3D printer makes it possible to print fudge, jelly, and more 

Another reason that home and commercial 3D printers are having a hard time gaining popularity is due to the cost. Ironically it’s the industrial 3D printers that wind up being cheaper and this is because industrial machines are usually made with the purpose of printing only one part. Commercial machines have to be way more versatile; with more customization comes a larger price tag. It is still proving to be a challenge to fit the technology into a desk sized unit. Until companies can streamline and simplify the production, the cost is going to remain high. Creative Machines Lab is still developing printable muscle tissue. This will make it possible to reproduce more “real life” textures when printing foods like meat or fish. Don’t worry though, with the everyday advances in technology a cheaper and better performing printer will be on the market in no time.

Food 3D Printing is an extremely new concept with a range of potential benefits. Let's bring to the kitchen 2 very cool tools:

1. Foodini

 Foodini is made by a company called Natural Machines and prints mainly appetizers and entrees (burgers, pies, cookies and more). If you hate cooking, Foodini will save you some time.

Here is a brief intro. Check out the beta and pre-production model in action:

2. ChefJet 

ChefJet is the other Food 3D Printer on the market made by a company called 3D Systems and its focus is mainly desserts (cakes, candies, just to name a few). However, it needs to be more developed.

See it at work:

 Both are still being tested and perfected, and both are on the pricey side. The Foodini will set you back about $1,400 and the ChefJet can $5,000-$10,000, depending on if you want the single or multi-color machine. As of right now the Foodini is the only over-the-counter option. ChefJet has more testing to complete before they can offer a consumer-ready version of their machine.

Conclusion

Companies are not entirely sure how the general public will react to the idea of this new technology. People are scared of change. The same thing happened when the microwave first came out. At first everyone thought that it poisoned the food. Fast forward to today, and it is nearly impossible to find a house without one.

Natural Machines is the first to point out that they are not on a quest to take all the work out of cooking. Instead they want to eliminate the time-consuming preparation that discourages people from wanting to cook in the first place. They also argue that the machines promote healthier eating because they require fresh ingredients to be prepared before the printing.

Despite the reason, this technology puts the human race one step closer towards the Jetsons and we as people need to ask ourselves; should we be doing this? The smartphone was supposed to revolutionize the way we communicate but ironically it’s made us more anti social. Will 3D food printers make us want to cook more, or simply be another unnecessary convenience? Like it or not the future is at our doorstep and only time will tell what this new technology has in store for us.

WHAT'S HOT: Build your Entire House Using a 3D Printer

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*by andreascy*

Our Selection of the Top 10 Devices Revealed at CES 2014 Mega - Event

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Hello Brothers & Sisters entire world. Enjoy your days in this blessed week. Not sure what you're after, but we hope the rest of your day is good. 😃

Thanks to you, THE OFFICIAL ANDREASCY is continuously growing! Do you want to shape the future with us? We are currently conducting a survey and we'd appreciate if you share your valuable feedback. The survey will only take a few minutes. Please, help us to serve you better! 

If you enjoy our blog site, then you know it, if it's Tech it's here. And today, we bring you the future. We dive into CES 2014, the Gigantic Tradeshow event (Location: Las Vegas, USA) and we present the Hottest New Technology gadgets around. 

Another year, another Consumer Electronics Show has come and gone, and our editorial team picks the best devices that hit the show floor. Some truly interesting innovations, including Smart Watches, Gaming hardware, PC Concepts, TVs, and more.

So what are we waiting for? Let's get to know the Top 10 Devices from this year's event. With a drum roll, ladies and gentlemen, here is the honour list:

1. Pebble Steel Smartwatch

Now hand watches do better than showing time, date, stopwatch and alarms. Pebble Watch came at CES with a new metallic version called "Pebble Steel Smartwatch".

Still supporting Android and iOS, this version includes Corning Gorilla Glass, protecting the E-lnk screen. The battery of the watch was created to last for a week. It's price is $249 and is going to be available from January 28, 2014.

2. Oculus Rift Crystal Cove

The 3D headset for gamers has been improved: Oculus VR revealed its new prototype for Oculus Rift, code-named "Crystal Cove".

This model includes small infrared LEDs on the front surface of the headset. These LEDs that look like white dots emit signals that a camera captures, similar to a webcam. By the way, the graphics are more detailed: Crystal Cove can refresh much faster the information displayed (every 1 to 2 milliseconds compared to 16 milliseconds from the previous model).

3. Project Christine

Here is an interesting concept PC, perfect for huge RTS (real-time strategy) games like League of Legends or StarCraft II. "Project Christine" is a bold re-imagining of the modern desktop with a modular design, made by Razer, a not very large company that develops and sells devices for gamers.

Christine comes with this fascinating design, and several modules like CD/DVD drives, Hard Disk Drives, GPU, RAM Memory etc. Users can customize or upgrade the PC by simply changing the modules on the central tower in order to have a better gaming experience. You can even hot swap the power supply!

4. PlayStation Now

Two months after the release of the PlayStation 4, Sony unveiled it's cloud service "PlayStation Now". Players were waiting for this since 2012, after the acquisition of Gaikai, a company which provides technology for the streaming of high-end video games.

We don't have a release date for the moment, however we know that the service will be compatible with PS4, PS Vita and maybe with smartphones, tablets and TVs. Also it will allow users to play PS3 games (and PS2?) without installing the games on the console.

5. LG’s Curved TV

The key number of this TV by LG is 105. Actually 105 inches for the LG Curved Ultra HD TV, with a 21:9 screen.

The advantage of this curved TV is it's viewing angle. The viewing angles are as wide as you like and the picture is extremely clear from virtually any perspective. By the way, LG, knowing that there'll be a little number of adopters, also made a 65-inch version. Simply awesome!

6. Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

We wonder how Samsung was inspired for it's Galaxy Note Pro tablet: you just have to see the home screen to say that it reminds a bit Windows 8 Modern UI (Metro).

Going by the specs this lightweight (759gr) 12.2 - inch tablet, measures 7.95 mm thick. It comes with Android 4.4 KitKat, and offers a huge display resolution of 2560x1600 (pixels), 3 Gb of RAM, and a huge Exynos 5 Octa chip plus a combined 1.9 GHz Quad Core and a 1.3 GHz Quad Core processor. And it's performance doesn't stop here.

7. Parrot MiniDrone

Star of the CES 2014, the Parrot MiniDrone, a quadricopter that received several awards including an Innovation Award in the category "Wireless Handset Accessories".

The MiniDrone works by being connected to a smartphone or a tablet using Bluetooth Smart. With it's ultra compact design, it can do high speed flights, do acrobatics with great precision and climb along walls with two ultralight wheels. This thing can really fly...

8. EyeLock Myris Iris Scanner

Forget fingerprints! Between DNA and Technology, there is Eyelock Myris, a USB iris scanner device, which has an arguably better take on biometric security. Pick it up, flip it over, look at it, and the sensor will scan your eye to verify your identity. It can work with your PC, Mac or Chrome OS.

Better than using passwords! Myris allows you to protect your digital life while making it more easily accessible. Thank you DNA!

9. Nvidia Tegra K1 Processor

It also had it's say at CES. Nvidia unveiled Tegra K1 Processor, having 192 GPU cores and 4 Gb of Memory.

The processor brings huge graphics performances from PCs or consoles to tablets and smartphones. It allows for example to play PC or console games on Android, with an amazing graphics rendering. The 32 bit version will be released on the first half of 2014.

10. Makerbot Z18 Industrial 3D Printer

As we talk a bit more about 3D printing, Makerbot revealed it's Replicator Z18 which is definitively a beast of a 3D printer.

Even if it's cost is huge ($6,499), the Replicator Z18 3D Printer allows prints up to 12x12x18 inches (about 30x30x45 cm). According to Bre Pettis, CEO of Makerbot Industries, "this is industrial-strength 3D printing".

With that we're closing the curtains on CES 2014. We hope you liked our selection. Please take our poll on the best devices below, and leave a comment about your own opinion.

What was the best gadget of CES?
	Pebble Steel Smartwatch
	Oculus Rift Crystal Cove
	Project Christine
	Playstation Now
	LG’s Curved TV
	Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2
	Parrot MiniDrone
	EyeLock Myris Iris Scanner
	Nvidia Tegra K1 Processor
	Makerbot Z18 Industrial 3D Printer
pollcode.com free polls

Learn about the latest happenings on Social Media, news and comments, plus tips on using Facebook and other web social tools.

Thank you all for your support! Have a productive week. 😎💓

*by andreascy*

10 Stories You Shouldn't Miss This Weekend

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Who's awesome? You're awesome! 😍 😍

We wanted to just take a second and say thank you to everyone. Have a wonderful weekend!

It is good to have spent sometime reading this week and i had a tough task to pick through many dozens of shortlisted stories. I guess the ones here are those pieces that had a lasting impact (click the headlines to read the full story). Hope you like this selection.

1. Brands - it's time to stop being faceless and start showing character on social media. There was a time when brands could get away with all-out self-promotion. Things have changed a lot in the last couple of years. Now, businesses really need to take into consideration what audiences want - especially personality. A great piece that is worth reading.

2. Why is Android’s growth rate suddenly flat? (Hint: Android is not the same as Google Android). Mobile phone technology exploded over the last 7 or so years,… the whole industry is much slower now. Saturated, and a bit non-plussed at this point.

3. The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding. We love color, it makes life so much better. This is one of the best info graphs we've seen in a long time! Read this extensive discussion about the impact of color on ‪marketing‬. 

4. Social media giants' features compared. Google+ comes on top with 50 features vs 30 supported by Facebook and 20 by Twitter. One of the best things I have read this week.

5. Brands: Who Owns What? Ever wonder what massive corporation controls all of the other companies? This crazy-amazing graphic shows who owns what and how.

6. Why Social media actually works for small business [Infographic]. Social Media is a powerful tool for small businesses and startups to market themselves with the right intent. It's easy, effective and the fastest way to approach the intended customer base.

7. A Smooth, 3D Printed, Multicolored, High-Resolution Vaze. The ProDesk3D from botObjects, an unreleased 3-D printer, says they've conquered the problem of crappy resolution in 3-D printed objects. Watch out the video that demonstrates the beauty and finish quality of 25 micron printing, using PLA (Not ABS) thermoplastics.

8. Smart Surgical Knife Detects Cancerous Tissue. Surgeons may have a new way to smoke out cancer! An experimental surgical knife can help surgeons make sure they've removed all the cancerous tissue. This knife could be a groundbreaking development in cancer surgery.

9. Spell Check on Paper With Lernstift's Digital Pen. Digital Pen points out spelling errors with a subtle vibration to help kids (and adults) acquire better writing skills! This is possibly the smartest pen we've ever seen.

10. Mural.ly loves Evernote. Evernote is fast becoming my go to organization tool. Linking it to mural.ly makes it even more useful. I can now use the material in my Evernote account to create a mural.ly presentation. 

Looking forward to hearing your feedback and insights in the comments below. Please don't forget to like our Fan page and show your love like always! 

Peace out. ✌

*by andreascy*

Chemistry World : 3D Printing of a Soft Network

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

3D Printing has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. Designers and engineers in the aerospace and automotive sectors have been using the process for decades to build prototypes. Many complex parts manufactured by 3D Printing are now present on aircraft, satellites, medical industry etc. etc.

3D Printing technology is advancing rapidly and its cost is falling dramatically. And this means something that was once restricted to a few elite industries is quickly becoming  more widely available and affordable. It's going to open up so many new possibilities for new businesses, new business models, start-up companies, new products and much more!

Now lets learn about a synthetic material capable of performing some of the functions of living cells : Oxford University scientists have used a specially modified 3D prototype printer to lay down a network of interconnected, electrically conductive droplets. 

This technology could find it's way into tissue engineering applications, helping to support cells that are being grown into healthy new organs - replace damaged human tissue or deliver drugs to specific locations.

"We aren't trying to make materials that faithfully resemble tissues, but rather structures that can carry out the functions of tissues," says Professor Hagan Bayley, who led the research reported in the journal Science.

3D Printing lets you build an object as complex as an organ, layer by layer or droplet by droplet, explains Cameron Ferris a research associate from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at the University of Wollongong.

Read the full story at Chemistry World.
Related topics : 3D Printing Technology - Make things by printing them : How it works
Science Nation - Printable Robots Designed to be Consumer friendly, Inexpensive
Hi-Tech & Custom Designed 3D Printed Prosthetics
The Tomorrow Project : Conversations about Synthetic Biology
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*by andreascy*

Science Nation - Printable Robots Designed to be Consumer-friendly, Inexpensive

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Hello guys. Today we'll present to you an interesting project funded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Expeditions in Computing Program. This project envisions a future in which 3-D robotic systems can be produced and designed using 2-D desktop technology fabrication methods. If this feat is achieved, it would be possible for the average person to design, customize and print a specialized robot in a matter of hours. 

Currently, it takes years and many resources to produce, program and design a functioning robot. This project would completely automate the process, from sketches on-demand, anywhere, and with the skill of a team of professional engineers, leading to potential transformations in advanced manufacturing. 

"This research revolutionizes the design and manufacturing of robots, with a profound potential impact on society," says Ralph Wachter, a program director in the NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering. "It would remove barriers to manufacturing robots, making it possible for average citizens to customize and manufacture their own robots to meet their needs. This opens the door to great possibilities."

"This research envisions a whole new way of thinking about the design and manufacturing of robots, and could have a profound impact on society," says MIT Professor Daniela Rus, project leader and director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL). "We believe that it has the potential to transform manufacturing and to democratize access to robots."

The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, known as CSAIL, is the largest interdepartmental laboratory at MIT and one of the world's most important centers of computer science and information technology research. The lab has played a major role in the technology revolution of the past 50 years. Currently, CSAIL is focused on conducting groundbreaking research in artificial intelligence, computer systems, and the theory of computation, while also tackling pressing societal challenges such as education, health care, manufacturing and transportation.

"Our goal is to develop technology that enables anyone to manufacture their own customized robot. This is truly a game changer," adds engineering professor Vijay Kumar, who is leading the team from the University of Pennsylvania. "It could allow for the rapid design and manufacture of customized goods, and change the way we teach science and technology in high schools."

Check out the video!

Related articles: 
3D Printing Technology - Make things by printing them : How it works
High Tech & Custom Designed 3D Printed Prosthetics
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*by andreascy*

Seven Best Buy Gadgets To Improve Your Life In 2013

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

It's pretty standard right now - every year brings more new and interesting developments in consumer technology – many of which were displayed at the recent CES consumer electronics show. 

Some are much more interesting than the others and here’s a brief take a look at 2013's more interesting choices within the gadget world. 

MakerBot Replicator 2 (3D Printer) 

Brooklyn-based MakerBot Industries continues to be sell awesome desktop three dimensional inkjet printers (and have done since 2009) and the Replicator 2 is their latest offering. Just as your traditional printer allows you create things in 2 dimensions, a three dimensional printer allows you render objects from plastic into 3d. Rather than purchasing every small item that you'll need to create a product, you can now manufacture it yourself without leaving the comfort of your own home. The only real limit is very literally your imagination. 

Pebble Smart Watch Phone 

It’s taken some time, but finally it is here. The smart watch that acts as an interface together with your Apple iPhone or Android phone to create a heads-up display of sorts for your wrist. As you would expect, it display the time, tells you who's calling, who's texting, and even when you have received a new email. It will also have an application store, so 3rd party designers can go nuts stretching the functionality of this awesome device. 

Oculus Rift Headset 

This virtual reality headset is among the most promising devices within the gaming world at this time. The company that makes them raised nearly $2.5 million on the Kickstarter investment website to get the device to the gaming market. It is set to become a a thrilling accessory for PC gaming (with support for consoles in the future). 

Xbox 360 720 

Everybody already knows that Microsoft can come up with a remarkable console. With the proposed enhancements coming with the 720 there will be more aesthetically impressive game titles to help keep the Generation X of players hooked for years to come. 

4K Televisions 

Forget High Definition HDTV, 4K televisions will generate images at four times better resolution of current HD models. They are pricey and expensive, but having seen them at CES, we believe that these will soon be flying off the shelves. 

TrakDot – GPS Tracker 

This little device is supposed to fit onto your checked baggage at international airports to really make it much simpler and easier to locate it - assuming the airport staff managed to get yours on the plane in the first place! You could also use it for other purposes too - why not use it to monitor your vehicle whether you can’t remember where you packed or if it gets stolen? 

Ouya 

The gaming world was ignited with excitement when the Ouya was introduced - this is an Android-based gaming console made to be as hackable and easy to customize as you desire. Interesting stuff! And it's not only a completely new console, it also combines with your home media center too, offering its very own movies and online applications for music and video. The console has to date been met with favorable reviews which should make it a very popular gadget in the future. 

SEE ALSO: Our Selection of the Top 10 Devices Revealed at CES 2014 Mega - Event

If you want to purchase any of the gifts mentioned in this article then they should be available from Best Buy late in 2013. Let your voice be heard down below in the comments.

*by andreascy*

Hi-Tech & Custom Designed 3D Printed Prosthetics

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

The technology has been radically transformed from its origins as a tool used by manufacturers and designers to build prototypes. We know that there are already 3D printed hips and knees in use in the medical field. Nowadays it is manufacturing with a mouse click instead of hammers, nails and, well, workers. 

Advocates of the technology say that by doing away with manual labor, 3D printing could revamp the economics of manufacturing and revive the industry as creativity and ingenuity replace labor costs as the main concern around a variety of goods.

It takes a story like this one to really bring home the idea of how this technology changes lives. Traditionally, amputees have been offered one-size-fits-all prosthetics - functional but not particularly attractive. Now technology is blurring the line between medical devices and sculpture.

US designer Scott Summit is using a 3D printer to create a customised type of cover for a prosthetic leg.

He said: "I was always amazed it (the prosthetic) never looked like the sculpture I thought it should. They looked very utilitarian, like they came from engineers. They solved the mechanical function very well but they didn't really address the human part of the equation. And I thought that perhaps this is where design really wants to come in and change things, make things so that you see it first thing in the morning and you get excited because you can't wait to show it to the world."

The person's existing leg is scanned and the shape of the prosthetic cover is created. It can be customised with different materials - leather, chrome, heavy-duty plastic - some people even choose patterns, snakeskin or a tattoo.

Once the 3D computer scan is complete, the printing begins, building up very thin cross sectional slices until the final piece is complete. Much of the more aesthetic designs coming out of 3D Printers these days, are things that could not have been made by anyone just 10 years ago.

With 3D printers in the public sector the custom nature of products has gone further than ever before. The technology may eventually make these kinds of prosthetics more accessible. We love seeing this life-changing technology and i think there should be a Nobel prize for this!

*by andreascy*