Why the U.S. Military Turned a Hipster Tattoo Parlor into A Special Operations Lab by Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Washington Post
From the outside, U.S. Special Operations Command’s latest attempt to find and test the best technology for its operators looks like one more downtown storefront here.
Inside, 3-D printers and half-built drones litter the 10,000-square-foot space, which was converted from an old tattoo parlor and former telephone book factory. High stools, wood tables and flat screens give it the look of Silicon Valley. The walls, however, are adorned with pictures of commandos in 1940s North Africa and mission dossiers from the CIA’s World War II precursor, the Office of Strategic Services. During a recent visit, a young intern was working on a device that uses radar to see through walls.
This is SOFWERX - a stylized name that roughly translates to Special Operations Forces Works - a Special Operations Command (SOCOM)-funded technology incubator that opened its doors at the end of 2015.
The easy-going vibe is meant to attract people who wouldn’t ordinarily think to work with SOCOM, according to SOFWERX director Tambrien Bates. A door next to an old cafe is a lot easier to walk into with an idea than, say, a base with armed sentries and a gate, said Bates…
Comments
There are a number of…
There are a number of affordable 3D printers on the market, but it's important to keep in mind that lower prices often come with trade-offs in terms of build quality, print resolution, and other features. Here are a few options to consider. Here shipping label printer you can get all the printers. Creality Ender printer is often touted as one of the best budget 3D printers on the market, with a price point under $200. It has a build volume of 220 x 220 x 250 mm and can print with a layer resolution of up to 100 microns.