Rembrandt may have died in 1669 but his artistic legacy lives on thanks in part to a new piece of work created with computer data, instead of the artist's hands. Revealed in the Netherlands, 'The Next Rembrandt' is the result of an 18-month project undertaken by a group of art historians, along with software developers, scientists, engineers and data analysts – not the usual team of artists for portraits work. Get your company on stage at TNW Europe. The team worked tirelessly to anyalyze all known works of Rembrandt, which amounts to over 300 paintings, using high resolution 3D scans to capture every little detail and create an algorithm that would eventually be able to accurately recreate his style. That data was then fed to a 3D printer, which recreated the painting using 13 layers of paint-based UV ink.

It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie like "Blade Runner." But researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a new 3D printing process that creates robots that are fully functional from the moment they come off the printer. The normal process for creating something complex and mobile like a robot through 3D printing usually involves multiple print runs to make each component. After all the pieces are printed out, then the object needs to be assembled. MIT's new process is significant in that the production period is streamlined, with the robot's solid and liquid hydraulic parts being created in one step, according to a university press release.

Imagine you could use a standard 3D printer to create your next robotic assistant. Just snap in a motor and battery, and it's ready to go. That's precisely the scenario made possible by a new 3D printing technique developed at MIT. Liquids have long been a challenge for 3D printing, and they're necessary for hydraulic devices like moving robots. On Wednesday, researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) announced what they call the first-ever technique for 3D printing robots that can print solid and liquid materials at the same time. That means it's possible to print dynamic robots in a single step, using a commercially available 3D printer.

Though the sky has always been the limit regarding the innovation and advancement of 3D printing, a group of researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab may have pushed that ceiling a little higher. According to a recently published paper, the team says it's developed a novel method for 3D printing fully operational robots in just a single print. Furthermore, these same robots only require a simple battery and motor installed before they can literally walk right off the printing table. By creating a new printing process which utilizes what MIT has dubbed "printable hydraulics," the team hopes to facilitate a breakthrough in rapidly fabricating operational machines. Concerning the process itself, the researchers used an Inkjet 3D printer capable of dispersing bits of material that measure roughly half that of a human hair. While printing structures, the printer places photopolymer material on surfaces of the print and hardens them with a UV light, leaving liquid portions of the project untouched.

Robotics researchers in the US have developed a new technique to build working robots using a 3D printer. The work was carried out by at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and involves printing solid and liquid materials simultaneously. The engineers believe their method could one day be used by disaster relief organisations to deploy customised bots in dangerous environments.

For years, 3D printing has been hailed as an emerging technology likely to transform our lives. Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have taken the nascent field to a new level with the creation of 3D printed robots made of both solids and liquids. Previously, 3D printing had only been done with solid materials. Printing with both materials allows for the faster creation of complex designs, lessening the time and expense required to make robots. Inexpensive robots could make remote exploration -- or any activity where a robot is used -- more affordable, bringing broad implications for the utility of robots.

The machines are now making machines of their own, and there's no assembly required. Researchers in the US have developed 3D-printed robots containing solid and liquid parts which only need to be connected to a motor and power supply before they can scuttle off. By laying down all the components as it goes, the 3D printer can produce the robot's rigid support, flexible components and fluid filled channels as it builds up the layers. Researchers at MIT have developed a 3D printing technique for producing hydraulic components. The method makes it possible to print robots with hydraulic parts, simplifying the production process so even a novice can print their own robot. So far the team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has printed a range of components, as well as a fully-printed six-legged bug-bot which can scuttle away on its rubbery limbs, and a soft gripper for picking up objects.

The technique involves using an inkjet 3D printer that releases drops of material less than half the width of a human hair. For structural areas, photopolymer is placed on the deck and then hardened with a UV light, while the liquid portions are left alone. After lots of trial and error using different combinations of solids and liquids, the team was able to find a winning setup that can create a working robot in one print session. According to Robert MacCurdy, inkjet printing is "the best way to print multiple materials," and that the technology offers "very fine control of material placement." In order to test the principles, the team built a hexapod that moved thanks to 12 hydraulic pumps built into its body.

As robotics and 3-D printing technologies become more accessible to home tinkerers, men are (of course) building robots of beautiful women. Anyone who's turned on a TV in the past decade shouldn't be surprised to learn that one of the first--and creepiest--examples of this development involves movie star Scarlett Johansson. News broke on Friday about a Hong Kong designer who made a robot that looks just like the award-winning actress--although Ricky Ma, the robot's creator, wouldn't name the actress he modeled the bot on, choosing instead to call it Mark 1. It took Ma eighteen months and over 50,000 to complete the project, which he constructed on his patio with a 3-D printer and software that he taught himself how to use. The question, however, is one of precedent.

As robotics and 3-D printing technologies become more accessible to home tinkerers, men are (of course) building robots of beautiful women. Anyone who's turned on a TV in the past decade shouldn't be surprised to learn that one of the first--and creepiest--examples of this development involves movie star Scarlett Johansson. News broke on Friday about a Hong Kong designer who made a robot that looks just like the award-winning actress--although Ricky Ma, the robot's creator, wouldn't name the actress he modeled the bot on, choosing instead to it Mark 1. It took Ma eighteen months and over 50,000 to complete the project, which he constructed on his patio with a 3-D printer and software that he taught himself how to use. The question, however, is one of precedent.