The bike that you can print.

(Image: emerging-technologies-news)

A more futuristic way to Pedal The Pedals may be hitting a street near you. By using thin layers (1/10th of a mm) of powered nylon the separate components of this bike were printed (and then assembled) out in a process similar to 3D printing. As unbelievable as it sounds they really printed this bike!

Even though it is made out of nylon, it is in fact as strong as steel. The technique and materials used mean that the bike is 65% lighter than a comparable aluminum bike and uses about 1/10th amount of the materials, making it much more environmentally friendly. The bike was created by a team of engineers in Bristol, UK working for EADS. The technology used in its making is usually reserved for satellites and whatnot but the team wanted to show that this process could be implemented to manufacture everyday objects. And while this bike was produced primarily as an exercise to prove what was possible with this type of technology, who knows, we might be cycling them into work within the next decade!

We may also end up growing our bikes. Curious about how to grow a bike? Read on...

(Spotted on Inhabitat)

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