Category Archives: Education

3D Printing News – Doodle 3D Transform

In a world where we can buy affordable 3d printers it can seem intimidating when it comes to creating your own 3D model for the first time. This is what the founders envisioned when they created their first successful Kickstarter for the Doodle 3d WiFi box with embeded sketch app (still available). For the first time you could not only use your fingers to paint a 2d sketch and extrude it into 3D you could send the design directly to your printer over USB. The WiFi box hosts an app that allows any touch interface like phones or tablets to be the modeling tool wirelessly. It’s much easier than it sounds.

The founders have improved upon the concept by releasing the Doodle3D Transform App, which runs a web technology-based app and forthcoming tablet app, pending a successful campaign. You can draw by hand, scan photos/drawings or import existing images. In addition to sending your design to your 3D-printer you can upload it to an online service like 3D Hubs for output, if you’re still saving up for a printer. But instead of being limited to single-walled prints you can create complex objects with the same simplicity of the original. Watch the video above and see all the capabilities on their campaign page.

I can’t think of a quicker or more fun way to get started in modeling! You can find out more about the features on the Kickstarter Page and more about their company on their website.

3D Printing News – 3D Prints for Teachers of the Visually Impaired

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The above image shows solids that all have the same volume, you can check this by filling one with water and then pouring that water into the next, fixed-volume objects. You can use the OpenSCAD script that Rich Cameron (aka Whosawhatsis) shared or download the sample objects. But why? Rich Cameron and Joan Horvarth, well-known authors, are on a mission to get all the 3d printers in the world, in all those new classrooms to help visually impaired students make use of 3D prints to learn just about any subject, but they need help making good models. This is where you come in.

Start off by downloading the sample objects above or generating your own via the openSCAD script we mentioned. Then visit the project page on Hackaday.io to get instructions on how you can volunteer to help this community and join their Google Group to continue the conversation. This is a great tactile to learn and a great way to share your talents with the world.

“Often students with visual impairments have difficulty with concepts based on visual/spatial relationships, particularly in math and science. 3D prints offer an unprecedented asset for their teachers, and 3D printers are becoming affordable. But these teachers need help designing models. [Whosawhastis] and I have been volunteer mentors to various groups working on figuring out the best ways to use 3D printing for the visually impaired. Our goal with this project is to document some simple, practical conventions for designing models, and lay the groundwork so that interested parties can create the needed designs. We know that schools have 3D printers and want to teach design thinking to their students. This project creates a minimalist open-source way to link teachers who need design files and (sighted) students who want projects to do. We want students to create the designs for the needed models, learning science, math and other subjects while helping their visually-impaired peers.”

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3D Printing News – How to turn the ordinary FDM 3D prints into ‘ works of art

Materia scupltures

In today’s post-processing article we see how Artists Explore Art with 3D Printing. Some the most beautiful pieces produced are what Pussykrew produces. Pussykrew, an interdisciplinary duo, creates multimedia installations, 3D imagery, videos and 3D printed sculptures that normally take on a glossy, holographic, highly rendered surface quality. Read their Instructable here on how they mimic in real life what they have produced digitally. I think you will agree it is a wonderful finish that you can now try.

See more of their work on their blog and stay up to date with their latest on their Facebook page.

Below is a bonus music video they produced that illustrates their characteristic style.

3D Printing News – Finishing and Post-Processing Your 3D Printed Objects

Friction welding

“Friction-weld, rivet, sand, paint — arm yourself with simple tools and techniques to take your 3D prints to the next level.”

Continuing with our recent posts about post-processing we refer back to this 2013 article from MAKE Magazine Volume 34, our own Matt Griffin shares some of the tools, materials, and techniques that will take the first step of outputting a raw 3d print to a fully realized finished model. Add friction-welding and printed rivets and hinges to your toolbox and be ready for your next project.

Read the full article here

3D print is game changer in Mechatronics Competition

Students from Fontys University of applied Science in Eindhoven and Ultimaker Education have joined forces in the international Mechatronics Competition: CCM Trophee 2015. The name of the team is ‘Rembrandts’ and together we’ve achieved very good results!

Several universities from three different countries had gathered to compete in the CCM Trophee 2015 competition in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The CCM trophee is organized every year by the Centre for Concepts in Mechatronics.

Contest regulations
All participants had to build a robot that is able to walk up the stairs, while carrying beer.  The glasses must be held in a pre described tray.  The fastest robot that spills less than 20% of the beer wins.

3D printing  brought new opportunities

3D printing brought new opportunities to the table during the design and build phase of this robot.  Also, the students of Fontys were able to save time & money in preparing some the robot parts. This unique robot has many 3D printed parts, e.g.:

  • caterpillar pulley drivetrain
  • motor cable protector&built-in encoder mount
  • triangle impact mounts on the arms
  • end-switch blocks for the arms
  • extrusion guidance and plug&play electronics
  • custom scissor lift with iGus Spindle
  • servo & gyro controlled stabilizer
  • pumptube arch – beer suction system

The result: first prize
All contributing partners are proud to announce that team Rembrandts has won the first prize!

Interested in next years tournament 2016? Please contact Ronald Scheer, Program Manager Education at Ultimaker. Or visit Centre for Concepts in Mechatronics.

Students were able to write history for their school
In recent years, students from Fontys University of applied sciences have entered this contest multiple times, but none of these teams were able to win the first prize. This year is the first year that the grand prize went to Fontys!

Thanks to all partners
This robot had not been able without the great help of:

  • AAE
  • Adruu
  • CCM
  • KMWE
  • MTA
  • STHO
  • and all the team members!