As recently reported on Bits & Pieces, Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi gave the world a sneak peek of the company’s first 3D Printer, the Arduino Materia 101. First shared on the Arduino Twitter account and introduced on the Italian television show Che tempo che fa, the white and teal device will be presented next weekend at Maker Faire Rome.
While their entry into the 3D printing space may seem like an interesting one, it is not entirely shocking. In fact, a number of machines are driven by Atmel megaAVR and AVR XMEGA MCUs — the same chip used to power a majority of Arduino boards.
“It’s an interesting move for the company, but not an entirely disconnected element, as many of the printer developments in the 3D community have used [megaAVR powered] Arduino boards for control. Moreover, it further indicates how bigger companies are starting to release 3D printers,” he writes.
After quite a bit of buzz over the past couple of days, Arduino has revealed the full specs of the newly-unveiled Materia 101 3D printer, which was developed in collaboration with Italian 3D printer manufacturer Sharebot:
UPDATE (10/16/2014): Arduino has announced that they have made the Materia 101 available for pre-order from their online store. The printer will be priced at $727 in kit form, and $887 fully-assembled.
Earlier today, Arduino gave the world a sneak peek of its own branded 3D printer, the Arduino Materia 101. First shared on the Arduino Twitter account and introduced by co-founder Massimo Banzi on Italian national television, the white and teal device will be presented next weekend at Maker Faire Rome.
Fellow Arduino co-founder David Cuartielles later confirmed the company’s latest innovation by tweeting…
Based on initial glance, it appears that the printer is equipped with an LCD screen, a control knob and a switch on the front plate, with a matching filament spool holder attached to its right side.
“It’s an interesting move for the company, but not an entirely disconnected element, as many of the printer developments in the 3D community have used [megaAVR powered] Arduino boards for control. Moreover, it further indicates how bigger companies are starting to release 3D printers,” he writes.
According to 3discover.it, the printer is a collaboration between Arduino and Italian 3D printer manufacturer Sharebot. Judging by the first images of Massimo Banzi’s announcement on the Italian TV channel RAI 3, the Arduino Materia will be based on Sharebot’s open source architecture and leverage the company’s familiarity with FFF technology.
With two guitars, a drum set and a piano completely fabricated from a 3D printer, a team of students and professors at Lund University in Sweden have brought rock ‘n roll into a whole new realm by putting on the world’s first 3D-printed concert.
“3D printing allows me to make complex shapes that are impossible to do any other way. I can also tailor instruments very precisely for musicians who want their instruments custom-made,” Professor Olaf Diegel notes. Diegel has been involved with 3D printing for nearly two years and uses the process to demonstrate that there is real world practicality in the medium.
In the medical field, 3D printing is already being used for things ranging from hip replacements to hearing aids. Diegel himself has even worked on a project involving 3D-printed shoe inserts for diabetics.
With some initial trepidation from the music community, Diegel believes his landmark concert will help win them over. “Musicians are very creative, but also very conservative, so their reactions have been interesting. They first approach what is essentially a plastic guitar with suspicion. Then, when they have a play with it, they’re amazed that it sounds and plays like a high quality electric guitar.”
Not to mention, the 3D-printed guitars have some nifty features – particularly the steampunk-inspired one which would fit right in at any Maker Faire festivity.
With his first gig in the books, Diegel is seeking to expand his creative process. He is currently looking into 3D printing woodwinds in the near future.
While most high school students spend their summer months washing dishes, flipping burgers or lying poolside, a group of young Makers from Granada Hills Charter High School used their time and knowledge to design a low-cost exoskeleton that would help children with cerebral palsy learn to walk.
The project is a result of a partnership between the Los Angeles-based GHCHS Robotics Club and Not Impossible Labs, who has become well-known for using technological innovations to improve individual livelihoods as well as humanity as a whole.
Many exoskeleton designs built to aid those inflicted with cerebral palsy can set you back anywhere between $300,000 – $500,000, but the students worked to create a system that would cost a fraction of that sum.
Using 3D-printed parts, four motors, a treadmill and a harness, the GHCHS team led by Joel Simonoff was able to devise a fully-functional prototype.
“We are incredibly excited because we have started to have the motors run simulated patterns. We are very excited to see that, even at full speed, the motor stops on a dime, and they are very accurate down to a few tenths of a degree,” Simonoff said.
With their first iteration completed, the team was privileged to receive working feedback from Dylan Edwards, PhD, PT and David Putrino, PhD, PT of the renowned Burke Rehabilitation Center.
This expert input will surely help guide the young Makers’ design down the proper path. While the team has seen some major successes like the unit’s instant stopping ability, they have recently reached out to the programming community at large to figure out how to have the hips and knees move in unison. In true Maker form, Simonoff and his team will steadily enhance their project, as they look forward to the day they will be able provide a cheaper therapy option for those with cerebral palsy.
In the words of Not Impossible Labs, this entire endeavor “is all about kids helping kids.” During a time that many of their peers may have wasted away, these kids were working diligently to improve the lives of others.
As Makers continue to explore the use of 3D printing to enhance the lives of those with disabilities, it’s exciting to see what medical marvels the next generation of Makers will develop using Atmel powered machines.
Earlier this month, the crew over at Local Motors made history by successfully building (and driving) the world’s first 3D-printed car all within a 44-hour window at the International Manufacturing Technology Show. The highly-popular vehicle even made its way to the World Maker Faire, where AVR Man himself had the chance to scope out the new set of wheels.
The technology behind the Strati was pioneered at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The vehicle was produced all in one piece using direct digital manufacturing (DDM); however, the mechanical components such as batteries, motor and wiring were still needed from third party sources.
In total, it took 44 hours to print the drivable project’s 49 parts from the massive 3D printer. During the IMT show, the Local Motors team assembled the printed pieces, dropped in the engine and bolted on wheels, tires, seats, windshield, and interior. (For those wondering, your average car consists of anywhere between 5,000 to 6,000 parts.)
Local Motors is hoping the Strati will continue to demonstrate the viability of using sustainable, digital manufacturing solutions in the automotive industry, and plans to launch production-level 3D-printed cars that will be available to the general public for purchase in the forthcoming months.
Until then, the company has unveiled the next best thing. In true open source fashion, Local Motors has released the downloadable file so that any Maker can now print an accurate 1:10 scale model of the Strati in the comfort of their own home — wheels, steering shaft, suspension, pedal box and all.
Local Motors has requested that those who 3D print the miniature Strati model share an image of the final product with them.
If you recall, UPS announced plans to bring 3D printing to several UPS locations last year; now, the parcel service is expanding the program to nearly 100 stores throughout the United States.
The service, which first rolled out in San Diego-area locations, was marketed toward “startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners.” According to UPS, the 3D printing service will enable companies to quickly and inexpensively create models and prototypes of items they plan to produce.
Following a six-market trial period, the decision was based on a high-demand for 3D-printing options — which is certainly in line with growth in the industry. As previously reported in Bits & Pieces, 3D printing is set to soar with analysts forecasting the industry to reach $16.2 billion by 2018 – representing an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.7% from 2013 to 2018.
UPS’ 3D printing effort is a partnership between the shipping company and Stratasys, the parent company to the well-known MakerBot who first began using Atmel AVR microcontrollers in its early printers like the Replicator 2.
“We launched the pilot to evaluate if there was demand for 3D print and we’re excited to be announcing an expansion, giving even more small business owners access to high-quality, professional 3D printing,” explained Michelle Van Slyke, VP of Marketing & Sales at The UPS Store. “We look forward to being a part of the future of the 3D printing industry.”
While the UPS did not provide a timeline for when the 3D printing project would be completed, there are currently 45 stores nationwide up and running with 3D print services. Kentucky, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania are among the states first receiving 3D printer-equipped stores, while an entire list of all other future stores can be found here.
Evident by the sheer number of up-and-coming machines in Maker Faire New York’s 3D Printing Village, the movement is gaining traction with Makers, entrepreneurs and corporate giants all hopping aboard.
In May 2013, Staples began selling 3D printers in its stores across the U.S., while the Microsoft Store also invested in 3D printing last year by expanding its MakerBot partnership to 18 locations where shoppers were able to see, demo and even purchase MakerBot 3D printers. The United States Postal Service even looked into the next-gen technology, which could potentially serve as a financial boon for the government agency. Most recently, Amazon launched a 3D printing store back in July, which offered customers the option to customize various thingamajigs like bobble head dolls and jewelry, and then have them shipped.
Evident by the growth of large companies’ presence at recent Maker Faires, this trend will only continue. Unsurprisingly, nearly 60% of enterprises have already or will soon begin using or evaluating 3D printers — a majority of which are powered by AVR XMEGA, megaAVR and SAM3X8E MCUs.
Well, this gives the term ‘Maker space’ quite the literal meaning. The first 3D printer set to leave the Earth’s atmosphere will blast off Saturday, September 20 at 2:16am ET aboard the SpaceX-4 Commercial Resupply Mission has officially docked at the International Space Station, according to a tweet from Mike Chen.
The Dragon hatch is open. This marks the first moment when the ISS crew could access the @MadeInSpace 3D printer.
Loaded onto SpaceX’s unmanned Dragon cargo capsule along with nearly 5,000 pounds of supplies including mice and fruit flies, the 3D printer was destined for the ISS. This new creation experiment entitled, “3D printing in Zero-G Technology Demonstration,” is a proof-of-concept collaboration between NASA and California-based startup Made in Space, who developed the microwave-sized device.
“This initial version of the Zero-G Printer will serve as a test bed for understanding the long-term effects of microgravity on 3D printing, and how it can enable the future of space exploration. It is a culmination of contracts and development dating back to 2010 including microgravity tests with NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, R&D contracts under NASA’s SBIR Programs, and development contracts with NASA MSFC,” the Made In Space team writes.
The 3D printing device possesses a build volume of 50mm X 100mm X 50mm and will be ABS only. A second model, contracted for the ISS in 2015, will support multiple materials and a larger build volume, MAKE Magazine reveals. Many of the features of the Made In Space Portal can be found on current consumer 3D printers — many of which powered by Atmel MCUs — including an enclosed build volume with polycarbonate windows, remote video monitoring, and remote printing via ground control.
However, as MAKE explains, 3D printing in space requires an extra level of features such as ruggedization to survive launch, thermal management, air filtration and optimization for printing in microgravity. The Made in Space team has flown over 400 microgravity parabolas and conducted 30,000 hours of testing in preparing the Portal for launch.
The goal is to provide astronauts with the ability to quickly and cheaply manufacture parts on-demand while in space. 3D printers build objects layer by layer out of metal, plastic, composites and other materials, using a technique called extrusion additive manufacturing. NASA hopes Made in Space’s device works normally aboard the station, thus demonstrating that 3D printers can produce high-quality parts in space as well as on Earth. If all goes well, this mission will help lay the foundation for a broader scale of efforts in space to eventually include an entire manufacturing facility.
“The on-demand capability can revolutionize the constrained supply chain model we are limited to today and will be critical for exploration missions,” Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s 3D Print Project Manager, noted in a recent statement.
This isn’t just your average desktop printer sealed up in a box and sent off into outer space. In fact, the 3D printer was put to the test by NASA with over 20,000 print hours of testing. The Made in Space 3D printer successfully completed its testing at Marshall this past April, and the flight hardware was turned over for flight integration. “NASA is great at planning for component failures and contingencies; however, there’s always the potential for unknown scenarios that you couldn’t possibly think of ahead of time,” Ken Cooper, Principal Investigator at Marshall for 3D Printing explained. Therefore, a 3D printer with the capability of creating replacement parts at a moment’s notice could revolutionize modern space exploration.
“This project is an ideal example of how government and small businesses can work together to develop new technologies,” adds Werkheiser. “In this example, NASA and Made in Space worked hand-in-hand and that partnership culminated in the rapid development of a brand new technology for in-space applications – all performed ahead of schedule and within budget. NASA was able to provide guidance and insight on how to design the system to successfully pass the stringent space flight certification and safety process and operations constraints. NASA also performed all of the certification testing at Marshall Space Flight Center. Made in Space is innovative and responsive which resulted in the capability to perform rapid iteration design.”
Not only will the printer decrease cost, but it also will decrease risk — and increase efficiency. According to researchers, it will likely take the 3D printer anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour to print something aboard the space station, contingent upon the size and complexity of the object. Blueprints for desired parts can be loaded onto the machine before launch or beamed up from the ground.
The 3D printer will integrate into the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) on the International Space Station, and will provide a 28V DC power and 200W cooling capacity. Astronauts will have access to remove prints and change filament cartridges as well as perform maintenance tasks, such as replacing a clogged print head or the electronics.
Battery Mounting Plate: Perhaps not the most exciting name for a NASA project, but this critical component is used in a very specific sounding rocket mission. It is a relatively small plate, about six inches by six inches, and has a series of small upright posts surrounding its edge. It has already been put to use for testing thermal control devices and was generated by way of 3D printing, using a material known as polyetherketoneketone.
Space Printing in 3D: Although it isn’t in production yet, NASA and its Marshall Space Flight Center are currently in the development stages of what will ultimately be the first space-ready 3D printer. The “Made In Space” program being run by the Flight Center is making plans to take the printer to the International Space Station once it has been manufactured, which is expected to be sometime this fall. The purpose of the experiment is to test the effects of microgravity on 3D printing.
Integrated Circuitry: The Goddard Space Flight Center, another branch of the expansive space agency, has developed what it is calling a “system on a chip,” which is essentially a hyper-efficient microchip processor created by a 3D printer through which spacecraft circuitry can be programmed. These systems operate on less than a half watt of power and can be used for spacecraft, as well as on ground control systems and electronics boards.
Advanced Materials: Most people have never heard of Invar, but it is a revolutionary material that is entirely resistant to expansion and contraction caused by temperature extremes that usually affect other materials. It will be the first object created by additive manufacturing that uses this highly advanced material.
Circuitry Protection: One of the most pervasive problems that NASA has had to deal is damage sustained by the circuitry onboard its spacecraft as a result of inevitable space radiation exposure. Engineers at Goddard have developed what they call “spot shields,” which are essentially small pieces that look similar to a steel bolt and are generated with 3D printers. They collectively act as a protective shield for critical onboard circuits against radiation.
From here to the moon, Atmel’s AVR XMEGA to megaAVR microcontrollers continue to be at the heart of a number of 3D printers. Last Fall, we were fortunate enough to have Made in Space’s Jason Dunn here in our San Jose headquarters as he discussed the company’s efforts of sending a printer into space. Well, it looks like those visions will soon become a reality in the forthcoming days. To Maker infinity and beyond!
When testing a flying prototype, an inventor’s biggest fear is a crash landing. David Sheffler’s team at the University of Virginia has eliminated this risk with their creation of a 3D-printed drone they call “The Razor.” If their UAV plummets to the ground, they can just print out another one on the spot!
Sheffler’s team of engineering students has devised a UAV, which utilizes an Android smartphone as the central processor. The lightweight Razor can carry a payload of 1.5 pounds and fly at speeds up to 100mph — though, Sheffler admits the “sweet spot” is around 40mph. The Android phone’s camera can be tasked to take pictures while in-flight and the navigation system can track the UAV’s distance traveled.
The former Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce engineer had designed some 3D-printed engines previously in his tenure at the university. The MITRE Corporation, a DoD contractor, caught wind of his creations and asked if he could create a 3D-printed drone that would be built with common tools and parts. Sheffler was certainly up for the task and so, The Razor was born.
The six-pound drone features nine distinct parts that can be printed for about $800 in total. If one part becomes damaged in the field, a new piece can easily be sourced and installed for a negligible cost.
The team has gone through a series of Razor prototypes before settling on the design. The first prototype — the orange and blue model seen in the video below — was based on a conventional RC aircraft comprised of balsa wood, which is much lighter and stronger than the ABS plastic used in the university’s 3D printers. The same plane made of plastic would have weighed five times as much as the wood version. “You’re printing out of a material that’s really not well-suited to making an airplane,” Sheffler tells Wired.
The ease of retooling and testing designs has made the project incredibly informative for the field of 3D-printed flight. The team’s drone can now be hand launched and patrol the skies for up to 45 minutes. If lightweight, low-cost drones like this one were implemented in crisis zones across the globe, innumerable lives could be kept out of danger.
“3D printing is at the phase where personal computers were in the 1980s. The technology is almost unbounded,” Sheffler reveals. “This program was really tasked with showing what is possible.”
Shenzhen-based company Makeblock, known throughout the DIY community for their mechanical parts and electronics modules, recently released a 400-piece DIY 3D printer kit. Inspired by the demands of the RepRap open-source community, the Makeblock Constructor I is powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) microcontroller.
As Makers, many of us are familiar with piecing together 3D printers from kit form; however, maybe not a kit consisting of no less than 400 parts. Aside from the Makeblock machine serving as affordable alternative to other Atmel powered 3D printers, the detailed assembly of the printer offers Makers with DIY education along the way and a sense of accomplishment upon completion.
Once assembled, the printer itself is quite a powerful device featuring an all-aluminium chassis, mounting brackets and various fixtures. It also employs standard 1.75mm PLA filament for builds, and a majority of free 3D printing software suites can be employed for spooling the models to be printed.
According to Makeblock, the kit is quite versatile. “No matter if you are designers, engineers, educators or inventors, you can always bring your ideas to life by printing out objects,” its team shares.
Throughout the world, millions of engineers, Makers, hobbyists, entrepreneurs and innovators are fueling what has been dubbed as the next “Industrial Revolution.”
“The next Industrial Revolution is right around the corner, and it’s going to be bigger than the Internet — or so says a growing army of hackers, designers, artists and entrepreneurs,” USA Today’s Tyler Wells recently penned in a piece detailing the rise of DIY culture, contributing its emergence to the low-cost, high-imagination level of makerspaces popping up across the country.
In the United States alone, there are approximately 135 million adult Makers — that’s well over half (57%) of the American population ages 18 and up — not including children and teens both interested in STEM and tinkering. Evident by the plethora of Maker Faires, makerspaces and other hubs spanning across the nation, this segment is expanding rapidly in size and economic heft. In fact, did you know the Maker Movement pumps roughly $29 billion into the economy each year? What’s even more impressive is that these figures will surely grow as more and more of the population is introduced to and begins to embrace the DIY culture.
“With the right motivation and time on your hands, you can now go through your own personal industrial revolution in 90 days, and can launch a company or product within those 90 days,” TechShop CEO Mark Hatch explains. Furthering the Techshop CEO’s belief, Gartner’s Jim Tully recently projected that by 2018, nearly 50% of the Internet of Things solutions would be provided by startups which are less than three years old.
Martha Stewart, who recently demonstrated her passion for the growing drone community, has also emphasized the importance of the movement time and time again. The queen of DIY revealed, “The Maker spirit is vital to our economy. In the U.S., 28 million small businesses create nearly two out of every three new jobs and employ half the private sector workforce. That’s why I believe it’s so important to support what they do. After so many years of seeking and spotlighting these creative entrepreneurs, I am excited that this movement has finally come to the forefront of American culture.”
Yet, the Maker Movement isn’t only limited to hobbyists and engineers but has transcended well beyond the walls of the 200-plus hackerspaces and labs. Not only is the notion of DIY being seeded and nurtured by Makers, it is in full blossom throughout the world at rapid pace, ranging from consumer products and mainstream retail to manufacturing and consumer goods.
These statistics are a mere testament to the emergence of the movement. Hear ye hear ye, a renaissance is underway!
In 2013, there were 100 Maker Faires around the world including its two flagship events in the Bay Area and New York and 93 worldwide mini-faires.
There were over 280,000 Maker Faire attendees in total last year, with a 62% rise in attendance from 2009 to 2013.
Around 70,000 people headed to World Maker Faire in 2013, with 47% of them being new attendees.
The White House held its inaugural Maker Faire in 2014. “Today’s D.I.Y. is tomorrow’s ‘Made in America.'”
MAKE Magazine subscriptions are up to 125,00 and growing at a rate of 20% annually.
There are now over 200 hackerspaces across the United States. (New York Times, May 2013)
There approximately 350 Fab Labs spanning across 40 countries. (World Bank, August 2014)
3 million people pledged over $480 million in crowdfunding projects in 2013. (The Next Web, January 2014)
The world’s crowdfunding sites reached close to $5 billion in transactions last year. (Forbes, April 2013)
Since its launch in 2009, more than $116 million has been raised for over 1,400 technology projects — a number of which have been hardware gadgets powered by Atmel
By 2025, crowdfunding investment market is projected to reach $93 billion. (PBS, December 2013)
The 3D printing market is projected to be worth $8 billion by 2020 (MarketsandMarkets, November 2013)
World demand for 3D printing is projected to increase more than 20% per year to $5 billion in 2017. (Reports and Reports, December 2013)
Worldwide shipments of 3D printers priced less than $100,000 grew 49% in 2013, reaching a total of 56,507 units. (Gartner, October 2013)
The U.S. market for 3D printer manufacturing will reach $1.4 billion in 2014, attaining a CAGR of 22.8% from 2009 to 2014. (Forbes, August 2014)
3D printers will grow from a $288 million market in 2012 to $5.7 billion in 2017, attaining an 81.9% CAGR. (Forbes, August 2014)
Much of the growth in 3D printing from 2014 to 2020 will come from the healthcare and aerospace industries. (MarketsandMarkets, November 2013)
67% of manufacturers are currently implementing 3D printing either in full production or pilot and 25% intend to adopt 3D printing in the future. (Forbes, August 2014)
48% of large manufacturers plan on returning production in the United States. (BCG, April 2012)
About 14% of U.S. companies definitely plan to move some of their manufacturing back home. (Wall Street Journal, July 2014)
Chris Anderson estimates that the DIY Drone community currently boasts well over 15,000 drones, compared to just 7,000 “professional” drones in use worldwide by military forces.
Etsy has 875,000 shops with 13,000,000 items and out of those, 2,900,000 items sold monthly. (BitRebels, June 2012)
There are also 15 million DIYers in over 150 countries on Etsy with 690,000 new members joining each month. (BitRebels, June 2012)
It was estimated in mid-2011 that over 300,000 official Arduinos had been commercially produced, and in 2013 that 700,000 official boards were in users’ hands. (Medea, April 2013)
As Arduino’s Michael Shiloh explained, “It [Maker Movement] is sort of like cooking. You don’t need to be a chef to cook, but almost everyone can cook something.” Without question, the Maker Movement has already and will continue to thrive in our DIY-centric culture. In time, we can surely expect to see Makers shape our future — one project at a time.
Don’t forget to join the Atmel team in Queens this week for the 5th Annual World Maker Faire. Undoubtedly, this year will be amazing as an expected 750+ Makers and 85,000+ attendees head to the New York Hall of Science to see the latest DIY gizmos and gadgets, as well as AVR Man in the flesh. Once again a Silversmith Sponsor of the event, Atmel will put the spotlight on everything from Arduino to Arduino-related projects. See you soon!
