Generally speaking, 3D printers can be quite bulky. And, the objects they are capable of printing are often limited to their own build volume. That is unless you’re a group of Rio de Janeiro researchers who have set out to put the wheels in motion, literally.
A collaboration between two labs from PUC-Rio’s design program, the team developed a solution that may very well pave the way for future printers.3&Dbotis billed as being the world’s first autonomous 3D printing robot. Tethered to a base with four omni wheels, the entire printer can move to and fro in any direction, depending upon the print data it is fed. The device is driven by an Atmel basedArduino board and can be wirelessly controlled.
The robot still requires a flat surface to work on, however the size of a part or object it can create is nearly limitless. TUIO fiducial markers are used to ensure pinpoint accuracy of its mechanism and position within a field of motion. Though the machine’s extruder is not heated, it can easily be modified to include one. It is capable of printing in a variety of materials including ceramics, modeling clay and other paste-like substances.
Once a model is too tall for the robot to add layers to, unlike other printers, 3&Dbot can easily 3D print a temporary raised structure around it to drive up onto and continue working.
Turn yourself into a Sim by building your own Bluetooth-controlled, 3D-printed plumbob.
As many of you probably know, the plumbob has become the iconic symbol of the super successful The Sims franchise, typically used to denote a character being controlled and to convey its mood. If the Sim happens to be in a good mood, the plumbob will be a bright, deep green; whereas, if a Sim is on the grumpier side, it will become a shade of red. The intensity of the color varies based on how the extremity of their feelings.
Inspired by the life-simulating game, Maker Daniel Harari decided to devise a Sims plumbob of his own, which displays his happiness for the world to see. The accessory consists of a headband, an aluminum tube and a crystalline shape that was 3D-printed using translucent filament.
The Maker packed the 3D-printed enclosure with an Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328), six RGB LEDs, a Bluetooth module for communication with an Android app, and a step-up converter so that the entire device can be powered by a pair of AAA batteries. At the moment, this battery pack is mounted along the side of the aluminum pipe. However, Harari notes that for his next iteration, he would probably install a rechargeable LiPo with a small switch and charging port instead.
Unfortunately, Harari reveals that he didn’t have time to write an Android app of his own, but was able to discover a free one on the Play Store that was able to satisfy his project’s needs. Beyond that, the Maker also used the Arduino Software Serial Library.
Harari reveals that in the future, he is thinking about modding the plumbob with an EEG reader, like the ATmega328P basedOpenBCI platform, which would enable the LEDs to actually reflect the wearer’s mood.
Recently launched on Kickstarter, the 3FXtrud Uno and 3FXtrud Duo are next-gen, multi-capable machines.
While it seems like just about every week a new 3D printer debuts on Kickstarter, some more than others are geared toward the DIY crowd. With that in mind, Bogdan Diaconescu and Difei Zhang — who are the co-founders of Albuquerque-based ShapingBits — have unveiled a pair of multi-material 3D printers that enable Makers and budget-conscious startups to create functional objects in an easy-to-use, cost-effective manner.
The 3FXtrud 20 Uno is a single extruder printer built with features that make it Maker-friendly with expedited setup and reliable printing in a multitude of filaments. This device primarily caters to those seeking to devise objects in hard, flexible and soft thermoplastics, which can all be 3D-printed using its universal extruder system. Meanwhile, the 3FXtrud 25 Duo throws on an additional extruder to give users a true free-form fabrication printer with advanced capabilities that allow for a greater variety of engineering (and FDA approved) materials — from compressible to maximum strength, and from low to high melting temperatures.
“True free-form fabrication (3F) can be achieved when any shape can be printed,” Diaconescu explains. “3FXtrud Duo uses a multi-material dual extruder, thus can print a large number of thermoplastics along with any two combinations of such materials. With 3FXtrud Duo you can print any 3D geometry with overhangs, bridges, internal spaces with internal objects, all possible by using dissolvable support materials.”
Based on an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4 board, the machines also pack an advanced multi-material, all-metal head that excels at printing a broad range of thermoplastics. At the moment, supported filaments include ABS, nylon, TPU, TPE, PC, PC-ABS blends, HIPS, PVA, PLA, PETT poly, metal/ceramics blends, wood, carbon fiber, and conductive materials. This unique extruder was designed to provide Makers with minimum maintenance and prolonged utilization, by reducing stripping, skipping and jamming, and employing a tool-free, constant-force feeding system.
What’s more, a notable feature of both 3FXtrud devices is its superior temperature control. Both printers are equipped with a high-temp heated bed that can sustain up to 130°C continuously along with an extremely flat and removable glass surface for improved adhesion and to prevent warping. And to offer even more control over a broader range of filaments, the Duo boasts a fully-enclosed build volume that eliminates air drafts and gives a stable air temperature profile by trapping the heat. This minimizes interlayer stress in the printed objects, and ultimately improves its overall quality and robustness.
“A particle and activated carbon air filter with air temperature homogenizer for odor free operation can be installed, which provides a uniform temperature profile for the enclosure,” Diaconescu adds. “For the mavericks wanting even more control and desire to work with experimental materials, a closed loop air temperature conditioner can be installed for an extended enclosure air temperature range.”
Build volume: 20cm x 20cm x 20cm (Uno) / 25cm x 25cm x 25cm (Duo)
Layer solution: 40 to 300µm (Uno) / 20 to 300µm (Duo)
Printing speed: 20mm/sec to 150 mm/sec (Uno) / 20mm/sec to 200 mm/sec (Duo)
Designed with astronauts in mind, the Eye of Horus is an open-source platform that lets wearers interact with any device by just looking at it.
In recent months, we’ve seen quite a few 3D printing advancements stem from the aerospace industry, most notably Made In Space’s efforts to bring additive manufacturing into orbit as well as Rocket Lab’s battery-powered rocket engine destined for blast off. Now, a new project — which was created as part the 2015 International Space Apps Challenge — has employed 3D printers to help NASA engineers and astronauts safely complete tasks at hand.
While in space, engineers and astronauts are often forced to abruptly stop an activity to operate computers or some other tools, which could result in a loss of time that could ultimately jeopardize a mission. In an effort to solve this conundrum, a team from the Spain-based Makeroni incubator has set out to create a game-changing wearable that would enable these researchers to inteact with objects by simply looking at them. And adding to the impressiveness of the project, it was built in just two days.
Eye of Horus is a 3D-printed, open-source platform that allows a user to control devices via sight. The gadget in focus is identified using light beacons (similar to LiFi technology), which emit various frequency pulses for each device (whether that’s a PC, camera, TV or microwave). A frontal camera detects this light, differentiates and wirelessly communicates with the objects as the wearer glances at them.
As you can imagine, not only would this provide tremendous assistance to those in zero-G, but could be applied in a number of real world settings — particularly assisting those with mobility problems, drivers on the road who otherwise would have to take their hand of the wheel to interact with a device and gamers looking for an eye-controlled mouse.
Aside from its printed circuit board and software components, the Eye of Horus was created entirely by using 3D printing. Inside a custom enclosure lie a serial bluetooth 4.0 BLE Module, a relay control module, an infrared LED and n an Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328). Meanwhile, the software is divided in two blocks: a server program (VoCore) running in the Eye of Horus and client in a laptop computer.
So what does the future hold for this incredible device? Its creators have their sights set on continuing the development of their eye-tracking devices and perhaps even a Kickstarter launch in the coming months. In the meantime, you can read up on their entire project here.
Every Friday, we’re taking a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that have caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days.
This filament feeding system connects to a single-extruder 3D printer and transforms it into a multi-color gadget, all through the use of a standalone box. Mosaic Manufacturing is currently seeking $75,000 on Kickstarter.
This smart home system is not only taking the smartphone out of the equation, but enhancing security, comfort, entertainment and ease-of-use along the way. Oomi Home is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.
This tiny, Arduino-compatible development board features built-in Wi-Fi and a secure cloud-powered platform, allowing Makers to create connected projects and products with ease. Digistump is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.
UKnekt
This smart, remote-controlled gadget lets you feed and treat your pets from anywhere, anytime. The UKnekt team is currently seeking $87,500 on Indiegogo.
UDOO Neo
This low-cost, open hardware computer can be programmed in any language and run a full Linux environment with graphic interfaces, all with the simplicity of an Arduino-compatible board. UDOO team is currently seeking $15,000 on Kickstarter.
Fuel Book
This plug-and-play device can turn any car into a smart car with self-diagnositcs, tracking and fuel analysis capabilities. Fuel Book is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.
The Ultimate Golf Swing Analyzer
This smart system provides golfers with an instant, accurate and elaborate swing analysis right at their fingertips. 3Bays is currently seeking $60,000 on Kickstarter.
Nextear
This set of ultra-small, wireless earphones pair with any Bluetooth Smart gadget to play studio quality music. Nextear is currently seeking $20,000 on Indiegogo.
GasWatch
This Bluetooth-enabled propane tank scale measures how much gas is left and alerts you through your phone so that you never unexpectedly run out while grilling again. GasWatch is currently seeking $25,000 on Indiegogo.
Lumino
This Bluetooth smart plug transforms your bedside lamp into a dawn simulator, making it a bit easier to get up in the morning. Lumino is currently seeking $30,000 on Indiegogo.
Lorian Burner
This compact racing drone has all the adjustments of a professional multi-rotor which can adapt as you progress. Lorian is currently seeking £10,000 on Kickstarter.
GeniCan
This intelligent garbage can automatically create your grocery list, match coupons to products and even deliver items to your doorstep. GeniCan is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.
C-mi
This all-in-one camera drone can be easily transported to cool locations and seamlessly controlled from a single mobile app. C-mi is currently seeking $125,000 on Kickstarter.
Vulcan I
This team of undergraduates is racing to become the first student organization to successfully launch a rocket powered by a 3D-printed engine. SEDS@UCSD is currently seeking $15,000 on Kickstarter.
Did you happen to miss last week’s notable campaigns? If so, you can check them out here. Also, if your project is powered by Atmel MCUs and you’ve been featured on our blog, be sure todownload the respective badges here for use in your ongoing marketing efforts.
Orbit1 lets you turn your ideas into gold. Literally.
Electroplating is a process that uses electric current to reduce dissolved metal cations so that they form a coherent metal coating on an electrode. While a number of 3D printers capable of making objects out of metal have already emerged, there has yet to be a Maker-friendly device that could coat an object in metal. Similar machines on the market today are often too bulky, messy and difficult to use — especially for the DIYers out there. That was until now.
Developed by California-based startup Monolith Studio, the Orbit1 isn’t exactly a 3D printer: instead, the machine enables everyone from tinkerers and engineers to jewelers and scientists to easily and affordably turn plain ABS prints into glossy, ready-to-shine works. After first making its debut at last year’s World Maker Faire in New York, the electroplater has finally made its way onto Kickstarter.
Using Orbit1, a Maker has the ability to coat their work in metal — like copper, nickel, lead and gold — in just three simple steps. First, by cleaning and polishing the object, then by spraying it with conductive paint and finally by hitting the start button. From there, Orbit1 will metallize the design, making it super simple to transform any 3D-printed thing into a valuable metal piece of art, jewelry, toys, instruments or even conductive part for electronic gadgets. Meanwhile, an accompanying mobile app monitors the coating process and serves as a real-time reminder.
Aside from providing users with an efficient and straightforward way to refine their projects, jobs can be finished in less than two hours for just $2/gram. Though Orbit1 features a maximum plating size of 7.8” x 5.8”, advanced users even have the option of adjusting all of the device’s parameters manually via the mobile app’s “expert mode.” What’s more, its propietary conductive spray is applicable to just about any surface.
“Orbit1 is as beautiful as it is functional. Right on your tabletop, Orbit1 scans the object and configures automatically. Click start and let it work for you,” its creators write.
At the moment, only copper and nickel are available for the Orbit1; however, should the team achieve its pledge goal, they will also launch gold, silver and other metallic finishes. Intrigued? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where Monolith Studio is currently seeking $200,000. Shipment is expected to begin in August 2016.
One Canadian startup has developed a way to take 3D printing to the next level.
Over the past couple of years, there has been an upsurge in the number of 3D printing startups and a slew of new machines. However, as great as many of them are, they all too often share the same limitation: they can only print in one color. That’s where one Montreal, Canada startup comes in. From home projects to complex prototypes, the Mosaic Manufacturing team is hoping to enable Makers to create objects that would otherwise have been way too expensive or inconceivable with conventional printers.
The Palette is a filament feeding system that connects to a single-extruder 3D printer and transforms it into a multi-color gadget, all through the use of a standalone box. This helps avoid the limitations of pricier, bulkier and harder-to-use machines, which require multiple filament nozzles.
What’s nice is that this shoebox-sized accessory, which recently debuted on Kickstarter, provides Makers with the ability to build an unprecedented range of things on the 3D printer that they already own — using up to four colors and a variety of materials. Beyond that, the system eradicates most of the commonly encountered problems associated with regular 3D printers, such as dripping and build size constraints.
“If you can use a 3D printer, you can build high quality color creations with The Palette. You can skip the upgrade cycle of buying an expensive printer, keep using your favorite slicer, and use whatever filament supplier you want,” the team notes.
Generally speaking, FDM 3D printers run off of plastic filament and the color of the material determines the color of the extruded object. Not anymore! Thanks to The Palette, users can take four filament inputs and combine them together into a single filament output. The device isn’t just limited to extending the possibilities of colors either; instead, given the wave of new filaments, the standalone system allows Makers to use many of today’s most exotic filaments — whether that’s carbon fiber, wood, stainless steel or a conductive material.
“Everything is done automatically, from the order of the filaments, to their exact length, to make sure every color shows up exactly where it should,” the team adds. “All you have to do is go through the simple setup sequence and print like you normally would!”
To appeal to the diverse landscape of today’s machines, The Palette is configured to function with just about any brand of FDM 3D printer that runs on G-Code/X3G and uses the typical 1.75 mm filament. Simply plug it in, and it’s ready to go. What’s more, it doesn’t require any modifications, wiring or hardware changes, and is cross-platform compatible.
Based on an ATmega2560 MCU, the device is driven by seven NEMA 17 stepper motors, is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux, and features both an SD card interface and USB connection. The Mosaic Manufacturing crew also went the extra mile by employing open-source firmware and software. This not only makes it DIY-friendly, but lets The Palette fit nicely within the collaborative ecosystem that is fueling the 3D printing community.
The Palette’s software works with existing multi-extruder slicers on the market as well. A user starts by configuring their slicer to prepare a four extruder print and assigns each extruder to the appropriate .stl files. From there, they slice the parts and create four extruder .gcode. Using Mosaic’s accompanying app, this .gcode is then processed to make it ready for a single extruder printer.
“Printing isn’t a perfect science, so we created a feedback loop to ensure The Palette and your printer are always on the same page. Mosaic’s app inputs a series of checkpoints into the .gcode/.x3g file. The Palette reads these checkpoints, and if the buffer is shifting, the Palette makes adjustments to the upcoming lengths of filament to ensure every piece of filament goes back to being perfectly synced,” they explain.
The Palette truly represents a giant step forward for Makers, as we continue to inch closer to an era of ubiquitous consumer 3D printing. Sound like something you or your Makerspace would love to have? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team has already well-exceeded its initial goal of $75,000. Shipment to early bird backers is slated for December 2015, while regular delivery is expected to begin in January 2016. (Not to be bias or anything, but the team admitted to following along with our blog regularly and “would have loved to to be covered,” so a little extra promotion is in store for these guys!)
Want a new toy? You may soon be able to 3D print it — without heading off to the nearest Toys”R”Us.
Let’s face it, as a kid there were always those toys that you wished you could design yourself. For some, that may’ve been a Hot Wheels car. For others, a Barbie doll. In any case, today’s generation may finally get that opportunity. That’s because toy makers are leveraging the powers of the Maker Movement to give children the keys to the door of endless imagination. Mattel and Autodesk have announced a partnership that will enable kids to customize their own 3D-printed playthings through a dedicated online hub starting in the second half of this year.
The joint initiative will provide a new immersive experience by combining the physical toys of today with the digital adventures of tomorrow. An upcoming series of apps will empower consumers — both young and old — to imagine, design and build their own toys, while 3D printing will bring them to life.
“Autodesk is dedicated to providing powerful, yet easy-to-use 3D design and 3D printing apps to unlock the creativity in everyone,” explained Samir Hanna, VP and GM, Consumer and 3D Printing at Autodesk. “Partnering with an iconic brand like Mattel provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate how Spark, our open 3D printing platform, can help create amazing experiences that bridge the digital and physical worlds and push the boundaries of creative play.”
Tapping directly into the burgeoning DIY trend, this exclusive collaboration aspires to bring hands-on design experiences to support an interactive learning environment through fun apps so that kids (and grown-ups who are still kids at heart) can also learn while they play.
“We’re constantly inspired by the passion and creativity we see among kids around the world,” said Doug Wadleigh, SVP and GM Toy Box, Mattel. “Technology is changing daily and by harnessing Mattel’s expertise in play and Autodesk’s expertise with creative apps and 3D printing, we’re able to offer a new kind of 3D design experience, continuing the Mattel legacy of inspiring imagination and creativity.”
While there is no indication as to which toy lines Mattel is targeting to get a 3D printing makeover, this is certainly just the tip of the iceberg and the start of a revolutionary trend. Just the other day, Disney Research unveiled a fabric 3D printer that was capable of creating plush, embeddable toys.
Printbrot CEO Brook Drumm gives a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-launched Printrbot Play.
Just the other day, Printbrot’s CEO Brook Drumm unveiled their new 3D printer, the Printrbot Play. The latest device will be a fully-assembled, easy-to-use FDM 3D printer featuring a build envelope of 100mm x 100mm x 130mm, a full metal chassis and a MIC6 aluminum print bed.
In recent years, Printrbot has become well-known throughout the Maker community for its affordable plywood 3D printer kits, while the company’s first all-metal printer — the aptly-named Metal Simple — was introduced back in February. This unit was made of an aluminum and steel frame, powder-coated in an attractive red color, and was slightly larger than its laser-cut wooden sibling, the Printrbot Simple.
Comparatively speaking, the soon-to-launch Play will be a bit smaller than the Metal Simple, whose build area was able to support up to 150mm x 150mm x 150mm. This machine, which will most likely also be based on an Printrboard Rev F (AT90USB1286), will replace the Simple Makers kit, and serve as an introductory machine for the DIY crowd. Even better, the 3D printer will be priced just under $400.
As we await its big debut, the team has offered a quick video sneak peek of the Printrbot Play. See it below!
Two brothers with advanced muscular dystrophy are using the powers of the Maker Movement to ‘re-enable’ themselves and others.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a form of muscular dystrophy that is caused by a defective gene for dystrophin (a protein in the muscles). Dystrophin is responsible for connecting the cytoskeleton of each muscle fiber to the underlying basal lamina, through a protein complex containing many subunits. The absence of this protein permits excess calcium to penetrate the sarcolemma (the cell membrane). Typically, the disease will cause proximal muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis first, followed by the arms, neck, and other areas not long after.
Nick and Chris Fryer are two Australian twins affected by DMD, who have harnessed the powers of Maker Movement to combat the issues that they often deal with on a regular basis. The brothers were diagnosed at the age of eight, and doctors didn’t expect them to live past the age of 21. Now 37, they are the oldest people living with DMD in Australia — though they do require the use of ventilators controlled by movements of their mouths and fingertips 24/7.
In an effort to improve their daily productivity, the Fyers have devised a number of projects using 3D printing. These creations have ranged from robots and drones to wheelchair accessories and computer aids, among many other gadgets. One in particular is Nick’s Bonsai Bot prototype, which was built with the help of Peter McKenzie.
(Source: ABC News)
Designed from scratch, the robot employs several 3D-printed and laser cut parts, an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560), a motor driver shield and an XBee S1 module linked with another that is plugged into a PC. This enables the rover to be driven from the computer using a C# application that Nick wrote himself. Small 3D-printed finger devices fixed to the twins’ desk allow for proper control, while fixtures on their wheelchairs aid muscle support. The system uses the Arduino Command Messenger Library to talk to the Mega sending serial commands using the paired XBee units. Video is then transmitted via an IP — although its creators do have plans for a more advanced system in the future.
“It is very much a prototype but it does work well enough to chase the dogs around and scare small children. On the to-do list is to develop a single program that does it all without having a browser window open in the background. It would also be good to have a system that uses Wi-Fi as that is far more ubiquitous than XBees,” Nick adds. “If it is to be used as a telepresence robot, you really need to be able to send commands to it through the Internet, so I am also playing around with TCP/IP as a way to send information to the robot.”
Beyond that, the brothers — who formed the Melbourne Eastern Suburbs Hackers (MESH) group to utilize technology to enable those with disabilities — have also devised an innovative button box. Due to their condition, both Nick and Chris experience difficulties when pressing buttons on a keyboard. To eradicate the problem, this DIY device can assign any one of the four buttons to any keyboard key. It uses an Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32U4) to mimic the signals of a keyboard (or a mouse), which is made possible through a simple program running on the board.
(Source: ABC News)
“I have also made my own modifications to the program to get rid of some bugs. I also wrote a program that allows me to use the ‘scroll wheel’ on a mouse as a game, Stardrive, that I play requires players to frequently zoom in and out, but the makers never assigned a key for the zoom,” Chris writes.
Most recently, the twins sat down with ABC News to share their envision of how public Makerspaces like their own can improve the lives of those with living with disabilities.
“What we want to do is to enable people with disabilities to design and create things for themselves,” Nick explains. “In the past it was virtually impossible for someone like me to actually make something physical, but now with computers, computer-aided design and 3D printers it’s become relatively easy.”
