Loughborough University researchers unveil plans to commercialize 3D concrete printing

In the future, could architects click-and-print their projects? (Photo: Skanksa)

Following our recent report of a Chinese company printing 10 houses in a day, the potential for architects to essentially click-and-print complex large-scale projects on a regular basis has moved a step closer to reality. This week, the UK's Loughborough University announced a deal with construction company Skanska and architecture firm Foster + Partners to develop and commercialize 3D concrete printing.

The researchers at Loughborough's School of Civil and Building Engineering have been developing 3D concrete printing technology with a view to commercialization for seven years now, and have refined their technique to a system that comprises a gantry and robotic arm – the latter now in its second generation of development.

Much like Andrey Rudenko's 3D concrete printer, Loughborough's device extrudes cement-based mortar under very precise computer control into layers, in order to create building components, which are then joined together.

According to the researchers, this offers the potential to create extremely complex structures which would be far more difficult and time-intensive to realize with current construction techniques. For example, the 3D concrete printer could eventually create whole sections of a building, ready to be assembled with all necessary pipe and electrical fittings already integrated.

"3D concrete printing, when combined with a type of mobile prefabrication centre, has the potential to reduce the time needed to create complex elements of buildings from weeks to hours," said Rob Francis, Skanska's director of innovation and business improvement.

As of this writing, the researchers were unavailable to comment on some technical questions we posed, such as the current rate at which the concrete is printed, for example, but we'll let you know if and when we hear back. However, the video below provides a little more information on the project.

POD-Indawo: Small living South African style

The POD-Indawo was designed by architect Clara Da Cruz Almeida (Image: Brett Rubin)

A team of designers and architects based in South Africa has produced this charming prefabricated tiny home designed especially for the climate and conditions of their country. The versatile POD-Indawo can operate on or off-grid, and sports a decent-sized porch and an upstairs sleeping area.

With a footprint of 17 sq m (182 sq ft), the POD-Indawo is constructed from steel, aluminum, glass, and wood, and has a large glass facade and several windows for ventilation. The units are built in Johannesburg, South Africa, and can ship either as a basic shell or be outfitted with kitchen appliances, folding furniture, and storage solutions to suit.

Inside, the POD-Indawo features a wooden floor, kitchen, bathroom, and a sleeping area that's accessible via ladder. Outside there's a covered decking area that serves as an outdoor lounge. The project's architect, Clara Da Cruz Almeida, told Gizmag that the POD-Indawo can operate either on or off-grid. As standard, it will plug into existing services on a normal suburban plot, but off-grid options including solar panels and septic tank toilet are available at extra cost.

In contrast with some of the tiny houses we've previously covered, the POD-Indawo cannot be towed, and requires a team and trailer to transport and assemble. It also requires planning permission, though only as a temporary structure, which is easier to gain than a permanent structure in South Africa.

A final price hasn't been decided yet – the POD-Indawo could cost the equivalent of anywhere from US$18,000 - $63,000, depending on the furniture and other options chosen. The tiny house in available in South Africa only.

Uber's Android app caught reporting data back without permission

Uber's Android app is acting like malware, reporting personal data back to the company that it doesn't have permissions for

Security researcher GironSec has pulled Uber's Android app apart and discovered that it's sending a huge amount of personal data back to base – including your call logs, what apps you've got installed, whether your phone is vulnerable to certain malware, whether your phone is rooted, and your SMS and MMS logs, which it explicitly doesn't have permission to do. It's the latest in a series of big-time missteps for a company whose core business model is, frankly, illegal in most of its markets as well.

Taxi-busting ride share app Uber might have an operating model that suits customers better than traditional, regulated taxi services – but the company's aggressively disruptive (and frequently illegal) business practices don't seem to stop at harming the taxi industry.

Its vicious attacks on competitors have included ordering and cancelling more than five and a half thousand rides through its chief competitor Lyft. Its senior Vice President of Business, Emil Michael, casually mentioned at a dinner that maybe Uber could start digging up personal dirt on journalists critical of the company.

These kinds of stories, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt – they're certainly very beneficial to competing services like Lyft.

But there doesn't seem to be a lot of grey area in these latest revelations that Uber is collecting a stack of personal data from users who have its Android app installed, including SMS data that its permissions list doesn't allow.

Security researcher GironSec decompiled the code of the Uber Android app and found it to be collecting and sending the following information back to Uber:

• Accounts log (Email)
• App Activity (Name, PackageName, Process Number of activity, Processed id)
• App Data Usage (Cache size, code size, data size, name, package name)
• App Install (installed at, name, package name, unknown sources enabled, version code, version name)
• Battery (health, level, plugged, present, scale, status, technology, temperature, voltage)
• Device Info (board, brand, build version, cell number, device, device type, display, fingerprint, ip, mac address, manufacturer, model, os platform, product, sdk code, total disk space, unknown sources enabled)
• GPS (accuracy, altitude, latitude, longitude, provider, speed)
• MMS (from number, mms at, mmss type, service number, to number)
• NetData (bytes received, bytes sent, connection type, interface type)
• PhoneCall (call duration, called at, from number, phone call type, to number)
• SMS (from number, service number, sms at, sms type, to number)
• TelephonyInfo (cell tower id, cell tower latitude, cell tower longitude, imei, iso country code, local area code, meid, mobile country code, mobile network code, network name, network type, phone type, sim serial number, sim state, subscriber id)
• WifiConnection (bssid, ip, linkspeed, macaddr, networkid, rssi, ssid)
• WifiNeighbors (bssid, capabilities, frequency, level, ssid)
• Root Check (root staus code, root status reason code, root version, sig file version)
• Malware Info (algorithm confidence, app list, found malware, malware sdk version, package list, reason code, service list, sigfile version)

While some people are suggesting it might be an anti-fraud measure to help Uber detect and combat fake accounts set up by its competitors, the fact remains – collecting data without appropriate permission constitutes malware and compromises users' personal data.

It's not yet clear whether the iPhone app does the same level of reporting on its users. As for whether Google will move to pull the Uber app from the Play store, that seems unlikely given that Google's US$258 million dollar stake in Uber represents the biggest deal Google Ventures has ever done.

This is the new world we're living in, folks, and if you think Uber's the only one building fat files out of your personal information, you're mad.

First object 3D-printed in space abaord ISS

International Space Station Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore with the first object made in space by 3D printing (Image: NASA)

The first 3D printer in space housed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has run off its first object. The item was a faceplate embossed with "NASA and Made In Space, Inc" and is part of a NASA effort aimed at producing spare parts for long-range space flights and greatly simplifying mission logistics.

Built by Made in Space, the additive 3D printer aboard the ISS uses a relatively low-temperature plastic filament to build up objects one layer at a time, and has been modified to operate in weightlessness and meet space station safety standards.

The 3D Printing in Zero-G Technology Demonstration that saw the production of the first object 3D-printed in space was carried out by NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore, who is the Expedition 42 commander. On November 17, he removed the printer from storage, installed it, and ran calibration tests with mission control over about three days. NASA says that the printing process itself was controlled from the ground to free the station crew for other tasks.

The first actual printing job was executed by a command from mission control on November 24, when the printer made a faceplate for its extruder casing. According to NASA, this not only demonstrated that the printer worked in zero g, but that it could create its own spare parts. Though the first print was successful, the part adhered to the tray, which may be due to the microgravity environment. This was not anticipated and NASA says that this effect will be studied further.

The ultimate goal of the experiment is to determine the feasibility of 3D printing in space as a way of replacing large stocks of spares with a supply of digital printing files and raw materials to fabricate parts as needed. To achieve this, getting the printer to make its own replacement parts, or even another printer, is a key capability.

NASA says that it will continue to fine tune the process as calibration tests continue. Meanwhile, the test pieces will be returned to Earth next year for detailed comparison with control objects printed out on an identical printer on the ground.

"The operation of the 3D printer is a transformative moment in space development," says Aaron Kemmer, chief executive officer of Made In Space. "We've built a machine that will provide us with research data needed to develop future 3D printers for the International Space Station and beyond, revolutionizing space manufacturing. This may change how we approach getting replacement tools and parts to the space station crew, allowing them to be less reliant on supply missions from Earth."

The video below outlines the 3D printing experiment on the ISS.

NASA requests comment on airship challenge

Artist's concept of NASA airship (Image: M. Hughes/Eagre Interactive/Keck Institute for Space Studies)

NASA has submitted a request for information in order to gauge the interest of industry, academia, innovators and enthusiasts regarding a potential airship design challenge. The agency hopes that the “20-20-20 Airship Challenge” would incentivize the development of innovative airships, such as blimps and zeppelins with the ability to maintain position high in Earth's stratosphere, providing a platform not only for astronomy and Earth sciences, but also for commercial uses.

Whilst some inflatables (such as weather balloons) already operating in the stratosphere have their uses, there also have many drawbacks. For example, whilst a weather balloon is capable enough at gathering meteorological data, it's completely at the mercy of the winds, and is therefore incapable of gathering targeted data. An airship has no such weakness – they are designed to be lighter than air and capable of holding their position under their own steam, providing stability and maneuverability that's valuable for numerous industries.

It is because of these strengths that companies and agencies such as Lockheed Martin, Thales Alenia Space and NASA hope to harness the flexibility of the airship for a number of roles. For example, telescopes could be mounted on either end, transforming it into an adjustable stellar imaging platform. The airship could also be utilized to monitor climate change in a static region, or even provide telecommunication and wireless services to remote communities.

"You would be able to follow weather patterns, even get above a hurricane. A satellite can't do that because its orbit can't be changed," states JPL astrophysicist Jason Rhodes.

Whilst the potential applications of the project are manifold, NASA has stated that at this point there are no plans to accept proposals for a manned airship, although the agency has not ruled it out for future development.

To help incentivize the project, NASA is planning to put up a US$2-3 million prize purse to be split between the two competition tiers. Tier 1 of the competition would require entrants' airships to achieve a stable altitude of 20 km (12 miles) with a 20 kg (44 lb) payload. The airship must then hold position within 5 km (3 miles) diameter of the station area and safely return the payload to the surface intact. Tier two of the competition follows the same pattern as the first, but requires airships to haul a 200 kg (440 lb) payload to be carried to the target altitude where it must remain for a period of 200 hours.

If the competition is deemed viable, the agency hopes to initiate the 20-20-20 Airship Challenge some time in 2015, the first and second tier taking place over the following 3- 4 years.