Aether Redefines 3D Printing With Aether 1 - World's Most Advanced 3D Bioprinter

SAN FRANCISCO, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Aether introduced Aether 1, the most advanced and affordable 3D bioprinter ever created. Aether 1 combines 12 of the most cutting-edge machines on Earth into one simple, easy to use, beautiful desktop device.

Aether 1 allows users to express creativity in an entirely new way, combining the ability to 3D print with an unprecedented 10 materials, with the ability to mix multiple fabrication methods in a single print, all from one simple 3D file. 

12 High-Tech Machines in 1 Magical Device

Aether 1 combines the world's most advanced 8 syringe-equipped bioprinter, with a dual-Bowden extruder FFF printer, a laser assisted bioprinter, laser engraver, CNC milling machine, UV-curing 3D printer, 400F degree chocolate/food printer, 3D electronics printer, 4,000 Hz droplet-jetting printer, universal modular fabrication device that allows users to use 8 of their own tools or extruders, full-color robotic drawing, painting and calligraphy machine, and a photo to fabrication art machine.

The capabilities, ease of use, and affordability of the Aether 1 will completely revolutionize bioprinting, food printing, art, and prototyping.

Empowering Futuristic Technology Made Push-Button Simple

In addition to the unparalleled number of materials, colors, and fabrication methods that can be combined, Aether 1 has a multitude of features that will absolutely redefine what users can do with a 3D printer, several of which are brand new patent pending inventions.

Aether 1 utilizes a first of its kind, highly accurate, Machine Vision powered Automatic Air Pressure Calibration System. This eliminates manual calibration, the single most difficult aspect of air pressure printing. 

Aether 1 automatically retracts inactive syringes and tools, and includes Automatic Stage Leveling with optical sensor, and Dual Automatic Nozzle Cleaning and Unclogging Stations.

For high-resolution printing, Aether 1 can be equipped with optional high-resolution motors capable of reaching an astounding 0.4 nanometer Z axis resolution, well over 10,000x the industry average, as well as an industry-best 50 micron minimum layer diameter.   

Aether 1 comes in an elegant anodized aluminum and glass sealed exterior and is equipped with sterility filtration to create a sterile printing environment for bio-materials or food. Aether 1 is built with a stable industrial-strength metal chain and sprocket gantry system.

Aether 1 has a dazzling full-color LED lighting system, including blacklight LEDs to light up glow-in-the-dark materials, and fluorescent bio-materials. Aether 1 offers a 13 megapixel camera as well as an optional 230x optical 700x digital UV-enabled Microscope attachment, and optional customized Machine Vision Object Recognition capabilities, able to recognize cells and other objects.

Aether 1 has a fantastic wi-fi enabled 7 inch 480p touchscreen display.

Aether 1's mobile app allows users to monitor and control their print from any smartphone or mobile device.

Critically, Aether 1 is built to work with users' own materials, not expensive and restrictive proprietary inks. Automatic Air Pressure Calibration makes printing with any material push-button simple.

"Aether 1 is the most versatile tool ever created. There's never been anything like this before. Aether 1 is over 10 years ahead of what other companies are developing, but we're selling it at an extremely low price to get it into the hands of as many innovators as possible. We think what the early innovators are going to make with Aether 1 is going to be absolutely incredible. Imagine a single machine that can make beautiful art in entirely new ways, turn photos into paintings and sculptures, even turn food into a work of art, that can also be used to save lives, conduct critical research, and pursue the integration of biology and electronics. People will use this to do big things," said Ryan Franks, CEO of Aether.

Bioprinting

High-end bioprinters are priced out of reach, low-end bioprinters lack capability and quality.

Aether 1 dramatically outperforms the top bioprinters in overall capability, precision, resolution, number of extruders, versatility, accuracy, ease of use, and most of all - value. Aether 1 is the only bioprinter offering syringe extrusion, LAB, and droplet jetting in a single machine. Aether 1's 8 pneumatic syringe extruders more than double the number of syringe extruders on most high-end competitors. High-end bioprinters often sell for over $250,000, keeping this critical technology out of reach for the vast majority of researchers. 

Aether 1 will expand what's possible with bioprinting technology, while reducing the price to an affordable point.

3D Food Printing

Aether 1 allows chefs, caterers and food professionals to use 8 food materials all in one print, onto a hot, cold, or room-temperature printing surface. Aether 1 offers an all-glass heated syringe extruder for melting chocolate, sugar, cheese, or any other material users would like to heat or melt.

Photo to Fabrication allows a restaurant to take a photo of a customer when they arrive for dinner, and print their portrait in up to 8 materials for dessert.

Users can combine heated syringe extrusion with standard syringe extrusion in a single print.  Automatic Air Pressure Calibration delivers consistent, simple, high-quality results. Food printers on the current market are expensive yet only allow users to print with 1-2 materials, and offer poor print quality. Aether 1 will completely change that, and open a whole new world of creativity for innovative food professionals.  

Art

Aether 1 offers users a way to create art that has never been seen before. Users can download or create digital design files, and then watch them get created in the physical world with actual pencils, pens, paintbrushes, or calligraphy tools directly onto any kind of canvas, paper, or medium they would like, using up to 8 art tools at once.

Aether 1 can automatically combine paint colors to create an unlimited number of shades for your robotic painting, just like a real painter would do by hand.

Users can combine multiple fabrication methods into one design to make amazing mixed media art, such as using a canvas of wood to combine CNC milling, laser engraving, multi color ceramic extrusion, and painting, all in a single print from one simple file. 

Photo to fabrication technology allows anyone to take a digital photo and with the push of a button turn it into a full-color painting, ink drawing, colored pencil drawing, ceramic sculpture, mixed media artwork, and more.

Prototyping

The days of being forced to prototype with one color of plastic filament are over, and a time of true creativity can now begin. Aether 1 allows users to print with any 8 viscous materials and 2 filament materials, all together in one print, all from one simple 3D file.

Users can easily perform CNC milling or laser engraving on their prototype.

Aether 1 excels with any printable electro-conductive material. Aether 1 will take electronics printing to a whole new level, and delivers far better performance and value than any electronics printer currently in development.

File-Sharing Website

Aether has created a file-sharing website designed for sharing multi-material and multi-fabrication type files. The website has custom design upload forms for each fabrication type, including bioprinting, food printing, CNC, laser engraving, stereolithography, robotic drawing and painting, laser sintering, binder jetting and more. Users can easily search for designs based on fabrication type, material or food type, number of extruders, and many other factors.

Other popular 3D file-sharing sites are only designed for single-extruder FFF printing, but Aether's site will support the entire new generation of 3D printers and fabrication devices, including those not made by Aether. The site will be free from unethical behavior and intellectual property theft allegedly perpetrated by other 3D file-sharing sites. 

Aether's file-sharing website will be launched in April 2016.

This will make it very easy to find and share design files made for Aether 1.

Pricing and Availability

Aether announced Aether 1 will be priced below $9,000. Exact pricing has not yet been released.

Aether plans to donate several beta units to selected schools, researchers, universities, chefs, and artists in May 2016. Retail units will be available early in the second half of 2016.

Learn More and See Pictures

Learn more and view today's first-look images of Aether 1 at www.aether1.com.

Aether is a technology company headquartered in San Francisco. Aether 1 was developed by Ryan Franks and Eric Bennett.

SOURCE Aether

Related Links

http://www.aether1.com