Almost everybody has a favorite superhero while growing up. That superhero is someone whom they wish they could be, and maybe even inspires them to do great things. For me, my favorite hero was Iron Man, and still to this day he is my favorite.
He is unlike most heroes, because he has no superpowers at all. Instead, he wears a suit to keep himself protected and fight off his enemies. Thanks to an individual, James Christianson, a working replica of Iron Man’s armor is possible to recreate.
James interned as a steel fabricator and was able to use other materials during his experience; including plastic, wood and metal. It was all of this training that let to his interest in 3D printing.
He decided to make a mechanized armor prototype, one modeled after the Iron Man MK 42 armor boot. He completed two versions of the prototype, using his Afinia printer, which were both displayed at the Greenbrae Mini Maker Faire.
The first one was more of an experiment, while the second incorporated electronics allowing the boot to close when a foot is placed inside it. The second prototype took 60-80 hours to make because of the integrated electronics work and then painting it to look like metal.
We could possibly see this technology applied to other footwear in the future, including ones seen on 3DShoes.com. Using an Afinia printer makes it easier to create footwear due to its ability to bond smaller parts into larger parts.
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