Today, we finally got to sleep in since the day didn’t start until 12:00, so that was nice. The first part of today’s educational experience consisted of traveling to the Red Light District in order to see the world’s first 3D-printed bridge, which was designed and built by MX3D. I found the design to be very unique since it was almost artistic in the way it flowed and spiraled at the ends. This method of design was later elaborated upon at the company visit. Once we took a few pictures and walked around the bridge for a bit, it was time to visit the company itself.

Once we arrived at the building, we were greeted with a presentation that explained the technology as well as the company as a whole. Essentially, MX3D is a company that specializes in additive manufacturing, also known as 3D-printing, in an industrial context. They use materials such as steel to construct different objects layer by layer. One of the most interesting things about this company, at least to me, was the emphasis that they put on organic-like designs. Throughout the presentation, the speaker emphasized the idea that MX3D likes to implement organic features into their designs. These organic components of the design are the reason that the bridge looked like it flowed onto the sides of the canal, because the design was based off of currently existing examples in nature. Not only does this make the designs more aesthetically pleasing, but they also make the projects more sustainable due to waste and weight reduction. An example that they gave was the support of on their robots, which they were able to drastically reduce the weight of thanks to implementing organic design components.

After the company visit, we then took a short break to visit the park near the area before dinner. Many of us were very hungry, and so we were all very excited for the meal. Though the peanut soup was an acquired taste (which I have unfortunately not acquired yet), the experience overall was quite nice. I thought Ben especially enjoyed the meal.

Tomorrow, we leave bright and early for Rotterdam! I am very excited to visit another urban part of The Netherlands, as Amsterdam has so far been the only urban area we have seen.