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From Space Food to Tiny Turbines, 3-D Printing Produces Green Results

Here's a look at four efforts to promote conservation with the help of a 3-D printer.

As more 3-D printing companies look to bolster their environmental bona fides, some inventors are using the technology to develop green goods and services. 

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Here's a look at four efforts to promote conservation with the help of a 3-D printer: 

FARMING IN ANY SHAPE:

Computer scientist Yuichiro Takeuchi has designed a way to use 3-D printers to grow gardens into any shape imaginable, including a flower-covered Statue of Liberty or floating plants that hang from ceilings.  Takeuchi, who was using yarn as a base to plant seeds through hydroponics but has found a new material to use that he won't yet disclose, believes that this technology makes it possible to add more greenery to city living.

“In the future, it should also become possible to print not only simple gardens but more complex natural environments, with rivers, ponds, hills, etc. where diverse wild animals can thrive. I’m hoping the technology will lead to increased biodiversity in central Tokyo, where as of now the only animals you see tend to be pigeons, rats and crows,” Takeuchi said.


ENERGY CONSERVATION:

Kyle Bassett, a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Windsor, has designed perhaps the world’s smallest wind turbine that can be assembled and installed anywhere in less than two minutes. The turbine, made out of 3-D printed parts, can charge any USB-powered device. Bassett hopes to bring his turbine to less developed countries where access to power can be difficult. The wind turbine is one of the three finalists of the David McFadden Energy Entrepreneur Challenge and will be supported by a Kickstarter campaign launching in mid-May.

DRINKABLE WATER:

Project Aquero has developed a self-filling, portable water bottle that can produce up to a liter a day of drinkable water from condensation in the air. A fan on top of the bottle blows warm air into a plastic heat sink that makes condensation drip into the collection bottle. The bottles are entirely 3-D printed, making them easy to replicate. The prototype can be supported through RocketHub.

SPACE FARMING:

The initiative to create a greener environment through 3-D printing extends beyond planet Earth. A company and online community called 3D Ponics is designing ways for astronauts to grow their own food in space. It currently costs about $10,000 to send one pound of food to the International Space Station, according to the company. Outside of space, 3D Ponics have designed 3-D-printed parts that can be used to create hydroponic gardens.The parts allow the user to grow plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil. 

3D Ponics community members can already download free designs online to use for their 3-D printers or can order parts from other printer hubs. CEO Michael Golubev said the company is hoping to partner with NASA or Mars 1 to bring these designs into space. "With the increasing likelihood that humans will soon be traveling to and inhabiting other planets, the ability to grow fresh food will be crucial to our survival," the company said. 

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