3DExpress: 3D Printed “Food Street” Opens at Indian University
This week’s 3DExpress takes us to India and the United States. First, we cover a “Food Street” at Ashoka University with 3D printed kitchens. Then, we touch on the expansion of dental 3D printing at an Alabama Air Force base. We also look at Disney’s first permanent 3D printed theme park prop and new proposed legislation in New York aimed at regulating 3D printed firearms.
The Hungry Caterpillar from Lyth Design
The Mumbai-based studio Lyth Design recently completed a “food street” at Ashoka University: an unconventional canteen called the Hungry Caterpillar. Designed by architect Apoorva Shroff, the project drew inspiration from nature, envisioning a cocoon-like form nestled within the existing tree canopy. The resulting space combines this organic vision with a strong focus on responsible design. The kitchens were concrete-3D printed by Micob Pvt. Ltd. and assembled on campus. This construction method allowed for an efficient, low-waste process while integrating practical features such as thermal insulation within the wall cavities. Overhead, a striking bamboo gridshell provides shade. The caterpillar-like structure curves in two directions and spans up to 19 meters, using layered bamboo elements and finished with a crushed bamboo mat. These 3D printed kitchens and bamboo canopy create a food street that is sure to comfort its visitors!
(Photo Credit: Lyth Design)
Airforce Base Restoring In-House Oral Surgery with Help of 3D Printing
The Maxwell Airforce Base in Alabama is now integrating advanced digital dentistry and oral surgery to serve Airmen on site. Previously, the dental flight had to refer Airmen elsewhere for processes like root canals, implants, and wisdom teeth procedures. Now, with new training and technology, the Maxwell Medical Group’s Dental Flight will perform these procedures in-house, and even periodontal surgeries like sinus lifts and ridge augmentation. “When patients are deploying, we ensure that they are ready to go. If they do have things that are limiting them from going, we will stop what we’re doing to get them out the door,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ernessie Ladouceur, Maxwell Medical Group dental flight chief. The base has two 3D printers and operates entirely digitally: they scan everything and 3D print models and mill restorations. The digitization of this process ensures that the Airmen’s medical information is centralized and accessible.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jin Wallace, dental lab technician at Maxwell Medical Group, prepares dental restorations at Maxwell Air Force Base. (Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force by Senior Airman Evan Porter)
First Permanent 3D Printed Prop Installed in Disney Theme Park
Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise is now home to the first permanent 3D printed prop in a Disney theme park: a 3D printed canoe. The canoe was produced in collaboration with the Florida company Haddy, and it was designed to match the style of the ride’s boats when it opened in the 1960s. The Disneyland builders, known as “Imagineers,” took a 3D scan of a canoe and used a photo of a 1960s model to create the new bow section. Haddy used robot 3D printers with polymer pellets to fabricate the prop. It took about 70 hours to print, compared to the roughly 1,000 hours of human labor it would take to traditionally make a 20-foot boat. Perhaps this will be the beginning of many more 3D printed props in Disney parks!
New York Governor Proposes Legislation to Block 3D Printing of Guns
On January 7th, New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed new legislation that would make it a crime to possess or sell the digital blueprints needed to 3D print firearms without a license. Additionally, the legislation would require manufacturers to block the machines from making the guns, mandate the reporting of 3D printed guns to the Criminal Gun Clearinghouse database maintained by the New York State Police, and require gun manufacturers to design pistols that cannot be easily modified for automatic fire. This comes after a proliferation of “ghost guns” being used for crimes in the state, including the high-profile assassination of United Healthcare chief executive Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione, who allegedly used a 3D printed gun and silencer.
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