Festo unveils a pair of insect-inspired robots

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These robotic ants and butterflies act like the real things.

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Well, it looks like Festo’s SmartBird, BionicKangaroo and BionicOpter are getting two new siblings. That’s because the German automation company has introduced the latest addition to its growing family of biomimetic robots: an ant and a butterfly.

The cooperative behavior of the real-life creatures is transferred to tech world using complex control algorithms. (Source: Festo)

First, the aptly named BionicANTS are designed to cooperatively operate. In other words, as a whole, they can complete complex tasks such as move larger objects, head to a specific location or conduct their own flash mob if they’d really like. Each 5.3-inch BionicANT is comprised of various components that are laser-sintered and finished with visible conductor structures and electrical circuits attached to its exterior.

The artificial ants can solve a complex task together working as an overall networked system. (Source: Festo)

A majority of the ant’s frame, as well as the electronic circuits located on the outside of its body, are 3D-printed. A radio module on its abdomen enables the robots to communicate with one another, while piezo-ceramic bending transducers are tasked with pushing movements, lifting its legs and activating its gripping jaws. A 3D stereo camera in the ant’s head allows it to see, an infrared optical sensor on its underside records the distance traveled, and a microprocessor distributes all the necessary signals. Beyond that, a pair of on-board Li-Po batteries provide up to 40 minutes of wireless power, before requiring to be recharged in a dock via their feelers.

Each butterfly is autonomous, using independently controllable wings to fly preprogrammed routes. (Source: Festo)

Similarly, the beautiful eMotionButterfly also uses collective behavior through an intelligent networking system. As they soar through the sky, they can manuever along pre-programmed paths inside special areas equipped with 10 high-speed infrared cameras — this keeps them from crashing into each other, walls or any other object. Each 20-inch butterfly weighs just 32 grams, and are equipped with two servo motors, some electronics and two small Li-Po batteries that gives them enough juice to fly at 2.5 meters per second for four minutes before they need to be recharged.

If you squint really, really hard… (Source: Festo)

Interested in learning more? Fly on over to Festo’s official page here, and be sure to watch both the ants and butterflies in action below.

Maker creates a super fast, continuous SLA 3D printer

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This super fast DIY 3D printer may one day take on the likes of Carbon3D.

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Just the other week, Carbon3D unveiled a groundbreaking new 3D printing process, which is being billed as anywhere between 25 and 100 times faster than machines on the market today. Hot on the heels of this big announcement, 3DPrint.com has brought to our attention another super speedy SLA 3D printer. The difference? It stems from the Maker community, more specifically, a University of Buffalo industrial engineering student named Bo Pang.

While it shares a number of features with Carbon3D, one noticeable difference is that the device uses an oxygen-permeable window to create a thin layer of uncured resin between the window and the object.

“This dead zone guarantees the part can grow without stopping, and this is the key to the CLIP process. For our machine, we don’t use that oxygen-permeable window, but we instead use a special membrane to create that thin layer of uncured resin. There are 2 advantages of this special membrane,” Pang explains. “First, this membrane is much less expensive than the oxygen-permeable window, as it only costs about 1/100 of the price of the oxygen-permeable window. Second, this membrane is very easy to mold, meaning we can make this membrane almost any shape we want.”

Despite having a relatively small build volume, the DIY device is capable of printing with an XY axis resolution of 15 microns and a Z-axis resolution of 10 microns. As the Maker showed 3DPrint.com, he was able to create a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower measuring 10mm x 10mm x 20 mm in just over seven minutes, not to mention a larger one (40mm x 40mm x 100mm) in 12 minutes.

Still a work in progress, Pang notes that the SLA 3D printer’s build volume can be expanded with some minor calibration. Intrigued? You can read all about the project on its initial write-up here.

Modding a post-WWII Craftsman table saw into a fully-functioning 3D printer

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Boy, would our grandfathers have loved to see this!

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While 3D printing’s roots only date back to the 1980s, do you ever wonder what an additive manufacturing machine would’ve looked like had the processing power of today been available 70 years ago? Fortunately, Maker Chad Bridgewater has given us at least a faint idea.

The Maker recently took the shell of a post-WWII Craftsman table saw and modded it with modern-day technologies to create a fully-functional 3D printer. As you can expect, the antiquated piece of equipment that he had bought for $5 at a tag sale no longer worked as its motor was shot. So, Bridgewater decided to gut the entire thing and house a set of electronics inside the machine’s original motor casing.

At the internal base of its shell, the Maker bolted together a set of laser-cut panels that would hold its components, which consisted of an LCD screen, a power supply, an SD card slot, an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and an Arduino shield. He then disassembled the stepper motors and powder coated them white, and used a 1941 lathe to machine pulley shafts, aluminum spacers, and motor shaft extensions.

Sure, the Maker could’ve stopped there. However, channeling his inner DIY spirit, he decided to go on by retrofitting the old post-WWII Craftsman table saw into a working laser engraver.

To accomplish this, Bridgewater employed a Mr. Beam Shield on top of an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and hooked up the device’s 16 x2 LCD screen to a Raspberry Pi B. Once again, a 1941 lathe was used to machine steel and aluminum spacers, motor shaft extensions and pulley shafts. Finally, the Z-axis is controlled manually by a rotary encoder, which is mounted to the original chromed blade adjustment knob on the unit’s front panel.

Want to learn more? Head over to the project’s official page here.

7-year-old amputee gets a 3D-printed prosthetic hand

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California girl receives a high-tech, 3D-printed prosthetic hand — for $50.

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When Faith Lennox was nine months old, she lost her left forearm. Now at age seven, she has received a custom ‘robohand’ through the powers of 3D printing.

The easy-to-use prosthetic weighs only one-pound and cost the Lennox family $50 — merely a fraction of the price of traditional, sensor-laden pieces. What’s more, when Faith outgrows the prosthetic, whether it’s six months or two years from now, a replacement can be made just as inexpensively and easily as the first.

After trying numerous prosthetics throughout the years, Faith found them to be too bulky, heavy, and worst of all, difficult to use. And while on the search for a better alternative, her parents came across volunteer group e-NABLE, who has helped kids and adults seeking artificial limbs to build them through 3D printing. Currently, the non-profit organizations says that they’ve assisted nearly 1,000 hands for 700 families so far using their free, open-source design files. From there, the combination of experts from Cal State-Dominguez Hills, design studio Build It Workspace, and an Airwolf 3D printer brought the project to life.

The seven-year-old even had the opportunity to choose the colors and watch the printing process firsthand inside the Makerspace. Naturally, she would go on to pick a scheme of pink, blue and purple. What’s even more impressive is that the entire process took just about 24 hours. After slipping on the end product — comprised of 20 individually printed plastic pieces along with some metal screws and nuts — she was able to control it by simply moving her upper arm up and down.

And just like any kid her age would do, Faith took to her bike to test out her newly-crafted arm. It was a success! This example, among many others we’ve seen in recent weeks, demonstrates the limitless potential of 3D printers.

3DFormer is a 3D printing pen for Makers

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This easy-to-use, even easier-to-hold pen draws 3D models right in thin air.

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While 3D printers may have stolen the buzz as of late, 3D pen makers aren’t too far behind in meeting the successes and mainstream appeal of their much larger siblings. In fact, handheld gadgets like the 3Doodler and Lix have already experienced multi-million dollar backings on Kickstarter over the last couple of years.

Hoping to be added to the list is new 3D printing pen 3DFormer, the brainchild of Austin-based Dim3printing LLC. Designed with students in mind, the device allows users to trace and draw 3D models right in thin air using FDM printing technology.

“3DFormer was developed for arts and STEM education projects. Kids may design and build artworks, and develop geometrical, engineering, and astronomical models for learning. 3DFormer may help kids to be more creative than ever,” the team writes. “Using 3DFormer together with other electronic or mechanical components, the inventions are instantly happening out of your imagination with a new look!”

Based on an ATmega8A, 3DFormer features a hexagon cylindrical shape with a 27mm grip width, and impressively, nonstop use of over two hours. Compatible with 1.75mm ABS and PLA 3D printers, users may feed the filament from either a standard 2.2lb spool or a stick. 3DFormer is looking to set itself apart from others on the market today through three key differentiators. These include continuous variable speed control, an ergonomic design for easy holding and precision in movement, and advanced cooling mechanisms to prevent clogging and ensure quick heat dissipation.

“The challenge in the 3D printing nozzle design is to maintain a high temperature to melt the ABS/PLA filament for extrusion while keeping temperature in filament feeding chamber low enough to avoid swelling in filaments. For a hand-operated 3D printing device, the form factor of the nozzle makes the challenge even bigger than that for the desktop 3D printers. On the other hand, to prevent injury from overheated nozzle we must keep outer shell temperature at 50 degree Celsius or lower.”

Beyond that, the pen is equipped with separate buttons to control the speed of the filament output and a minimum flow rate of 0.5mm per second, while a maximum filament flow rate is said to be upwards of 20mm per second. At this rate, its creators note that the extruded filament volume lets users deposit multi-layer plastics on a two-dimensional surface for layered structures and enhanced strength. What’s also nice is that the fan-free 3DFormer is super quiet, making it a welcomed addition in any classroom.

“We believe this is the right product for both 3D drawing fun and classroom practice,” explains Mr. Bin Hu, Dim3printing CEO. “Launching the 3DFormer on Kickstarter will help us to smooth mass production and get the product to our long waiting customers sooner.”

Those interested in a 3D pen can head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team is currently seeking $20,000. Shipment to early bird backers is expected to begin in May 2015, with full-out delivery slated for June 2015. In the meantime, you can see it in action below.

Twitter Mood Lamp visualizes the mood of Denver

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This 3D-printed, Arduino-powered lamp changes colors to match the mood of Denver. 

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Many people consider New York to be a busy metropolis filled with irritable and angry people. On the other hard, others find Los Angeles to be more laid-back. New Orleans, well several folks would say it’s rather festive and jovial. However, the mood of a place like Denver, Colorado is a bit harder to classify. That’s why Maker Chadwick Friedman has created a 3D-printed Twitter Mood Lamp that, as its name would imply, changes colors to match the attitude of the city.

Inspired by those mood rings from the ’70, Friedman decided to build a lamp that would actively respond to Twitter trends. The project itself is controlled by an Arduino Yún (ATmega32U4), which causes the device to emit either red, green, or blue based on whether the mood of the city is perceived to be angry, happy, or sad, respectively. The Maker employed the help of Temboo to capture and analyze the sentiment of Denver by searching for specific keywords that might indicate the emotional state of users via the Twitter API.

In order to limit this project to Denver, the Maker used the city’s latitude and longitude to restrict retrieved tweets to within a 12-mile radius. Friedman adds, “As they’re retrieved, these tweets are outputted onto the Arduino Yun’s serial monitor as well as classified under an emotional state. A running tally is kept of the mood and the lamp glows the color associated with the predominant mood. If its intended use is for an extended period of time, the tally can be enabled to forget tweets retrieved longer than an hour ago. Alternatively, it can scrape twitter at specified intervals and glow the mood associated with tweets only made it in that duration.”

Keep in mind, this isn’t the first time a Maker has creatively displayed the emotions of his or her area based on its social media users. In fact, one Maker recently illuminated the snow on his frontyard to reflect his town’s current mood, while a group of design students devised an interactive installation that literally painted the mood of their city. Intrigued by this IKEA-like, interactive lamp? You’ll want to watch it in action below!

VormVrij unveils a lineup of clay-based 3D printers

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This large 3D clay printer is ideal for potters, digital artists and Makers.

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Plastics, metals, woods and even chocolates are among some of the materials currently being used by 3D printers today. While they may be great mediums for rapid prototyping, they simply won’t suffice for artists and craftsmen looking to create elaborate things out of clay. That was until now. Thanks to the duo of Dutch inventors Yao and Marlieke, who together make up the startup VormVrij, DIYers will soon be able to fabricate ceramic pieces faster than ever before.

As we’ve previously covered on Bits & Pieces, VormVrij has been focused on using clay as an alternative to plastic filaments and debuted their first machine last fall. For those unfamiliar with this niche, typical ceramic printers can be a bit pricey when compared to more traditional polymer-based devices. Aside from that, these machines can require a considerable amount of time and attention to the recipe of the clay itself. Luckily, the startup has introduced a new process that is meant to replace the usual scenario where a sculptor creates a bust as the model sits or similar services where the model is scanned and printed.

The Netherlands-based duo has announced that they have released a new line of dual claystruder LUTUM 3D printers, which start at €4,655 ($5,065). Following in the footsteps of last year’s prototype, this family of devices all boast the same base and can print within a volume of at least 650mm x 700mm x 700mm. Yet, each of the four models possess varying extruder systems and clay tank sizes. The printers are all prepared for future updates as well, ranging from automatic nozzle cleaning systems to arm lights for better print vision.

In terms of the clay system, the storage and pressure vessels are comprised of high-pressure plastic with a transparent tube that enables users to easily check clay levels. The maximum working pressure is 5 Bar (72psi) and the vessels are equipped with a pressure dial to ensure consistency during a print job, a pressure relief valve for safety, and a quick-snap air hose connector on top. The vessels come in two different sizes, 3.5 liters and 8 liters, depending on the amount of clay needed for the job.

The LUTUM series was designed with ease-of-use in mind. That being said, the printers each feature a single press-dial system and a 128 x 64 LCD screen. This unit includes SD support for standalone printing, as well as a USB connection on its front-panel for a direct computer interface. As in their predecessor, the printers are all based on Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4.

Perhaps one critical attribute of the clay 3D printers is that they are considerably faster than any existing desktop machine. While it may take hours to devise a flower vase on a FDM or SLA 3D printer, for example, one of the LUTUM 3D printers can whip up one in a matter of minutes.

• Printer size: 1040mm x 960mm x 1300mm
• Print area: 650mm x700mm x 700mm
• Print speed: 30mm/sec for rounded parts; 15mm/sec for cornered parts
• Maximum print speed: 100mm/sec at 3mm extrusion width and 1.5mm extrusion height
• Filament: Softened clay
• Connectivity: USB, SD card
• Software: All open-source, e.g. Slic3r, Pronterface and Repetier

Sound like something you’d like to have? Head over to the company’s official page to learn more.

Maker 3D prints a fully-functioning, Planck-inspired mechanical keyboard

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Why go to Staples for a keyboard when you can print your own?

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The Planck is a compact (40%) Ortholinear keyboard designed with ergomnomic thumb placement. For those unfamiliar the kits, the plate layouts are relatively the same as a traditional keyboard with the exception that the keys are all the same size. Recently, Maker Adam Forland 3D-printed and assembled a fully-functioning Planck-inspired mechanical keyboard.

“I just got into mechanical KBs a month ago but I was immediately drawn to the idea of a [DIY] keyboard. The plate, feet and key caps are all 3D-printed on my desktop printer,” Forland writes.

As you will notice, upon first glance, the keyboard may appear to be just like the ones you use regularly. However, this gadget omits an elongated space bar, and instead, uses a series of five yellow keys along the bottom to serve as navigation arrows and a function button.

To bring this idea to life, Forland employed his Lulzbot Mini 3D printer. The Maker notes that he needed to divide the main case of the device into two sections in order to accommodate its size, which measures approximately 9cm x 25cm x 3cm. Using a 0.5mm nozzle, he printed the board at a 0.3mm layer height and the actual keys at a 0.18mm layer height using ABS thermoplastic.

The keyboard itself is powered by a Teensy 2.0 USB dev board (ATmega32U4) and programmed with a few different custom layouts. Beyond that, the project is equipped with some 20-gauge copper wire, 1N4148 doides and 48 Cherry MX green switches.

Interested in a 3D-printed mechanical keyboard of your own? You can download all of its design files on Thingiverse here.

Maker builds a DIY SLA 3D printer for less than $30

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This SLA 3D printer can be created using materials found throughout your home — and an Arduino.

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Although many 3D printers strive for simplicity and affordability, this one surely takes the cake. Whereas a device under $500 may catch your attention, one that costs less than a Saturday night dinner surely will hold it. Buildyourownsla.com user “Mystamo” recently created a DIY SLA 3D printer for less than $30 that prints from the top-down or bottom-up, all powered through an Arduino Uno (ATmega328).

SLA typically features a bottom-up style due to issues like the need for more resin and layer height control. A projector or laser diode sits underneath the resin tank with transparent bottom and a non-stick surface, pointing upwards to cure the resin.

For his build, Mystamo had taken his top-down device and wanted to test as to whether it would work with his ACER 5360 720P projector for a bottom-up design as well. After some investigation, the projector was indeed suitable for the job without requiring much further customization other than removing its focus screw for manipulating the focus wheel and a little fine-tuning of the focus.

The Maker reveals that since he didn’t have Z-axis limits, he set the build plate just slightly above the resin surface with some resin pointing out of the his perf board holes. Mystamo acquired an inexpensive stepper drive that was soldered directly to the pin, and added a few connectors for easy removal. It also runs at 1/16 micro stepping. Beyond that, he refined his 3D printer by employing the Arduino to run a very simple HTL code with only minor modifications.

From there, the 3D printing process was ready to begin with 8-second exposures on the first three layers, and 2.5 second exposures on all other layers, all at 0.05mm per layer. While this particular design doesn’t use any 3D-printed parts itself, it still embodies true DIY spirit as the entire thing was devised using items found around the house. And in case you’re wondering, yes it works, as seen with his latest print: a Terminator skull.

Intrigued? Learn more by heading over to the Maker’s forum post here.

China’s first 3D-printed car hits the road

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A Chinese company has just completed a 3D-printed car for $1,770.

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Hot off the heels of Local Motors, Sanya Sihai has created China’s first 3D-printed car: a bright orange electric-powered sedan. If you recall, the Chinese company previously developed the world’s first fully-functional boat last August, a two-meter long vessel capable of accommodating two passengers.

The road-ready vehicle took a month and a half to complete, with the printing portion of the process requiring just five days — which is more than twice as long as the Strati’s 44-hour fabrication time. In total, the team says it only cost $1,770 to manufacture.

The frame of the rechargeable battery-powered two-seater was printed using a composite material, then combined with traditionally manufactured components. Its distinctive color is the result of the Tyrant Gold filament used to construct the car’s body. Weighing approximately 500kg when all was said and done, the electric Shuya is capable of reaching speeds up to 24mph.

Intrigued? Watch the car as it hits the streets of the Hainan province in southern China.