Category Archives: fablabs

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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Out-of-the-box upgrades: Z-Unlimited

Projects and 3D printing companies like Ultimaker and Printrbot who share their design files online (1, 2) allow anyone, without having to ask, to think of improvements and actually implement them. Whether it’s a little tweak or something that turns the whole printing experience upside-down is up to you.

Joris van Tubergen is someone who does exactly that, on a regular basis.

Printing bigger, faster, in a different way and with sweet new materials or new appearances has always been Joris’ trademark. He started experimenting with an existing Ultimaker allowing it to print huge objects, like this elephant:

3D-printed-elephant-Joris-van-Tubergen

Z-Unlimited – now on Kickstarter – allows you to print much bigger things than the 3D printer that makes it. How? Joris van Tubergen an out-of-the box thinker with a mentality that an Ultimaker is a device that can be changed to do exactly what you want it to do. He put the Ultimaker upside down, pointed the printhead outward again and let it lift itself up while printing.

You might ask, who is Joris, how does it work and how can I start printing like this? We will have to make it happen together, because Joris needs your support! You can back it through Kickstarter and get your own Z-Unlimited:

Print tall with Joris' Z-Unlimited!

Print tall with Joris’ Z-Unlimited!

Want to know more about Joris? Did you know that he…

  • makes regular appearances on Dutch TV?
  • played a pivotal role in creating the Kamermaker with DUS Architects and Ultimaker,
  • prints challenging prints more easily because he’s not afraid to hack some GCode parsing scripts together with programming Blender, even though he’s not a programmer by education?
  • the 3D printed elephant actually had tiny names inscribed into the surface, part of the huge 3D model?
  • works for the legendary FabLab “Protospace” in Utrecht, as the first Lab manager on site. Joris helped make the first RepRap and Ultimaker workshops possible, even before Ultimaker existed.
  • made the Fairphone + 3DHubs Phone covers possible?
  • has published most of his 3D creations on YouMagine? Check out his profile here.
  • applied Augmented Reality with QR codes to his 3D printing (yes, lots of buzz words!)
  • embedded the source code of a 3D object into an RFID chip, physically embedded into the printed object. Source code inside!
  • And even more about Joris here

It’s not secret: We’re big fans of Joris and all other makers that are redefining what 3D printing is! We’d love to see what he comes up with next!

Fablab London: an unique experience

At YouMagine, we are very proud that more and more FabLabs are becoming YouMagine member. FabLabs began as an outreach project from MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms. A FabLab is a Fabrication Laboratory that provides access to (digital) fabrication tools, like lasercutters, 3D printers and much more.

FabLab London is YouMagine member too and one of their goals is to help students, teachers and schools to learn about the application of technology and computing.

I recently visited Fablab London, because it is unique in many ways. Unlike most FabLabs for example, FabLab London has an on-site electronics lab, with access to the latest technologies like:

  • Arduino
  • RaspberryPi
  • KANO
  • Intel Galileo
  • Edison

What also makes FabLab London unique is :

  • It’s location.  Being in the center of London enables access to anyone and everyone who lives or works in London.
  • The tools, machines and platforms  FabLab London has craft machines and tools, expert machines and Digital fabrication including CNC. These are combined with the electronics lab, which means that anyone can make or create (almost) anything.
  • The model.  The phenomenon of fabrication hubs and make spaces is not new. What’s new, is that Fablab London has two interesting founding partners: Bathtub2boardroom and The Great Recovery. The Great Recovery focuses on ‘redesigning the future’, with an emphasis on ‘circular economy thinking’. The mission of Bathtub2boardroom is to fill commercial space with early stage entrepreneurs who have limited capital, but unlimited ideas.
  • The team – tools, machines and platforms are amazing, but there is a need to have onsite experts who understand what you are trying to do and are capable of teaching or assisting you.

Some FabLab London team members:

Left to Right: Peter Troxler, Martin White, Karien Strouken, Ronald Scheer, Ande Gregson and Tony Fish.

  • Martin White, product manager FablabLondon
  • Karien Stroucken, Education manager FablabLondon
  • Ande Gregson, co-founder FablabLonden
  • Tony Fish, co-founder FablabLonden

also in the picture:

  • Peter Troxler, board member Fablab Benelux Foundation
  • Ronald Scheer, on behalf of YouMagine

My best advice is to visit FablabLondon when you are in London, and you can have a unique experience too!

Contact FabLabLondon

Visit Fablablondon.org
Send a tweet to: @fablablondon