When 3D Printing and Smart Living Intersect
At this period of the year it is high time to keep your hearts and also houses warm. Being more down to the ground, especially the second one gets pretty essential during the chilly winters. Since we are always into 3D printing industry, we are going to show you what Zortrax 3D printers and the notion of smart houses have got in common.
A smart house controlled by mobile application
Feel It in the Air
Some time ago we filled you in with the information about an inovative Polish startup Emerald that takes care of the quality of the air we breathe in our houses. This time we’ve got the guys who will make sure that the air in our spaces is also warm and adjusted to our daily performance. But to the point. The company is called Think: Thing and consists of 6 creative minds that grabbed together to realize their common idea – making their homes and cities smarter. They decided to start their project with the concept of a smart winch that enables to control the inside temperature, but as one of the members Bartek Zaborowski claims, it’s just the beginning.
Wise and Warm
Looking at radiators in your bedroom you would probably never connect them with any form of innovation, but the guys from Think: Thing did. Well, maybe it wasn’t precisely the innovation itself but rather the need of having one that they noticed once during a family dinner. What is more, they also managed to find the link – 3D printing technology and they didn’t waste time for any other solutions. When the concept of the device that can adjust the temperature of the radiators via the smartphone was ready, they contacted one of the local hubs to materialize their first prototype – the torch.
Torch radiator controller
Dare to Develop
The hub wasn’t in fact a random one but rather carefully picked as the one chosen by them had one special feature – ability to print on Zortrax M200. As we mentioned, the boys were well prepared and after making their various ideas more precise and physical, they made some research so eventually they knew the quality they needed and the brand that offers it. The team decided to go for White Z-ABS as it is a common choice thanks to the material being really economical.
Grab Your Chance
Talking about the very printing process, we asked the Think: Thing members about their views on the technology. In their opinion, based on the example of their own company, it’s not possible to overestimate it. 3D printing gave them a chance to create their project in a physical sense and the ability to work on it, and by doing this, receive feedback and learn about the full capabilities of their product. It gives also the great opportunities for other startups that want to move forward with their project, as alternative methods of prototyping are either too expensive or poorly available.
Torch installed on a radiator
Ecology or Economy?
There’s no choice between. The Torch works in a way that it connects with the portable devices, usually smartphones thanks to the special application and enables the user controlling the interior temperature. Because of that the thermostat can be set on lower temperatures during the night, or we can turn the heating off when we are out of home. Eventually, this can cause great savings of energy and of course of money, not to mention the convenience of using.
Zortrax Still on Track
Once again we are happy that we can make our own contribution to creative projects that make our every day smarter. We keep our thumbs up for the guys from Think: Thing and we hope to see even more great inventions that are the result of innovative thinking supported by the latest additive technology. And apart from the technology itself, we are really glad that thanks to realizing their projects we got real spokesmen for environment and innovation who not only provide but at the same time educate us about the need of taking from the latest means to save the environment we all live in.