ATM Skimmer

The ability to create almost anything raises interesting legal and ethical questions.  One example of the dark side of fabbing was identified recently by 3d printing service company i.materialise.

A customer placed a 3d print order for a device similar to the one shown above.  Engineers at the company identified the plastic part as something that could be attached to an ATM machine. With the appropriate hardware the part could be used for scanning customer cards and stealing their personal data.  The high quality custom design would have meant that the customer would have been completely unaware of the additional hardware on the machine.

Read more: http://i.materialise.com/Blog/Entry/attention-atm-skimming-device

Rep Rap

There are a number of projects working on developing low cost fabbing equipment. The open hardware Rep Rap 3d printer project is interesting because the device can print many of its own parts.  The ultimate aim of the project is to create a free self replicating 3d printer that anyone can build.

Read more: http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page

Prosthetic Limbs

In his work with amputees designer Scott Summit scans the patients surviving leg, reverses its orientation and then 3d prints a perfectly symmetrical opposite leg.  The prosthetic limbs can be made out of a multitude of materials including metals and plastics and can be decorated with tattoos and jewellery.  The prosthetic not only restores body symmetry but also becomes a positive talking point.

Read more: http://fabbaloo.com/blog/2010/7/11/print-some-legs-and-make-them-whole-again.html

Dremelfuge

Starting at around £400 a centrifuge is an expensive piece of kit.  The Dremmelfuge is an open hardware alternative.  This 3d printable rotor can be attached to a Dremel (or any other rotary tool) and used to spin standard tubes.  The pattern can be downloaded for free from the digital design repository ThingVerse.

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