A german compnay by the name of BigRep, has made the first fully 3D-printed, electric, and functioning motorbike. It is only a prototype, so it is not open to the public to buy. It weighs only about 132 pounds and has many futuristic features, such as, customizable tread, seats, and chest rest, airless tires, and embedded programmable LED lights. The only things that are not 3D-printed are the electrical openents that power the motor. Unfortunately, there are no numbers on its preformance or range since it is mereely a marketing tool to show the capabilities of 3D-printing and it is fairly new. The bikes flexible structure is enough to absorb bumbs and potholes on the road. Daniel Büning, co-founder and managing director of the lab, says "This bike and our other prototypes push the limits of engineering creativity and will reshape modern technology as we know it."
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Questions
1. What are some benefits or disadvantages on having a plastic 3D-printed bike versus the traditional motorbikes?
I think the 3D-printed bike would be more eco friendly and the parts would be very easy to replace, but I think that since it is so light it would be very easy to steal and would be damaged easily.
2. Do you think that this technology could be aplied to bigger things like cars or boats? Explain why or why not.
I don't think it would be in the near future, but it could be possible if we decide to recycle more plastic and convert it into these products.
Replies
Good job overall. Be sure to capitalize words that should be-German-. Be sure to reply tio everyone when you only have a page of comments.
I think some of the advantages are being able to drive a3d/electric bike or car cost less dont have to buy gas and I guess better for the enviorment or something disadvantages would be it is not as powerful as a gas or diseal powered vehical
Yes I do sense we already have electric cars I dont think it would be that hard to make cars/trucks into these 3d elctric bikes it would be literlly the same thing but bigger
1.) I think it would be great so see more electric motorcycles on the street. I think it's amazing to see companies, like BigRep, coming up with new ways to create eco friendly motorcycles. Because the motorcycle is light, I think it would be easy to damage or even steal motorcycles like these.
2.) We are creating new motorcycles with this technology and as a society, we are advancing with technology and this could eventually be applied to other vehicles.
I agree with you on the subject that, in today's world, there are constant changes in the technology field, and BigRep is one of those companies that is staying ahead of the game and implementing new ideas and concepts into the real world.
I think there could be many benefits with the 3D printed bike. One would be its very light and compact so you could probaly carry it into appartments. One downside of the 3D bike would be its duribility, and fun to ride. As a dirtbiker i like to have fun going as fast as i can through tight trails in woods but i cant afford to break anything so i am glab my bike is durable. Another idea with the 3D bike is that parts would be hard to find and most likely snap on, with them snapping on many times parts could get loose and fall off it replaced often.
I do not think that the 3D printing technology could be applied to boats and cars to make a business. One reason why is that people are stubborn and many will not like the idea of driving a plastic car. The printed car does not sound very safe to be in if a head on collision happens or anysort of collision. I think that people would want to stick with the metal bodys and frames for cars.
The thing is though that the parts are 3D-printed so if something on the bike were to break then it would be very easy to order a new one and have it arrive shortly. Also, maybe instead of having the whole car being 3D-printed, they could use the printer to make the smaller parts of your car.
A benefit of this bike I think would be that the bike itself would emit less gases into the atmosphere, however, a disadvantage would be that performance wise, the bike probably could not compare to the performance of a traditional motorbike. I also think that it would be hard to mass produce these motorbikes if they are created by 3D printing. I do not think that this technology could be applied to bigger things like cars or boats because I do not think that the materials used to create them through 3D printing would be strong enough to withstand the conditions they are under when they are used.
I agree with you that the motorbike would be more eco friendly, but I think you underestimate the capabilities of 3D-printing. Inside of the printed parts have complicated structerual integrities that are actually pretty tough. I know that it won't be as tough as the metal that is on a traditional bike, but I think it will be a lot cheaper than yout typical motorbike.