Understanding the state of 3D printing

The folks at MAKE recently conducted a survey on the current state of desktop 3D printing – offering readers access to a quick snapshot of the rapidly growing industry.

According to MAKE’s Anna Kaziunas France, the majority of respondents classified themselves as hobbyists (65%) who used their printers for personal projects (61%).

However, “mixed” or dual-use of desktop 3D printers, which included some business activity combined with personal use, weighed in at 39 percent. Meanwhile, almost half of those surveyed (46%) already own or have access to a 3D printer.

“Detractors of consumer 3D printing often describe desktop machines as tchotchke factories, but we found that the vast majority of respondents were printing useful, working items,” wrote France. “76 percent were using additive machines to create prototypes for projects, 75 percent were making functional models and parts and 64 percent were whipping up fixes for broken things.”

France also noted that two of the most important factors for consumers thinking about buying a 3D printer were value for the money (85%) and durability/integrity of the product (83%). Other high ranking features included output quality (82%), ease-of-use (67%) and the ability to just hit print and confidently walk away from the printer (64%).

Hands on search with the Atmel-powered MakerBot

Imagine a future where visually impaired individuals can learn about the world via touch – using a plethora of 3D objects printed right inside their classrooms. Well, the future is here now because MakerBot has teamed up with Yahoo Japan for a Hands On Search Pilot program.

Indeed, the two companies recently helped facilitate the creation a custom device built around an Atmel-powered MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer for a classroom of visually impaired students at the University of Tsukuba.

“Students used the device’s voice recognition software to search for objects, and the device’s built-in MakerBot Replicator 2 enabled them to print objects right away,” MakerBot’s Ben Millstein explained in a recent blog post. “Meanwhile, Yahoo Japan curated a special database filled with 3D-printable designs for the students, many of which were sourced from the MakerBot Thingiverse 3D Design Community.”

In an effort to encourage online collaboration, Yahoo Japan also posted a wish-list of items students hadn’t been able to find, including some tough ones like “Thunder” and “Tornado.” In addition, 3D modelers were encouraged to contribute their own designs to fulfill student requests.

“After a successful pilot at the University of Tsukuba, Hands On Search is expanding, with plans to bring devices to seven schools for the visually impaired across Japan,” Millstein added. “We can only imagine what it’s like for a visually impaired student to touch the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty and get an impression of its shape and appearance for the first time—thanks to 3D printing.”

Atmel powers this Rubicon 3D scanner

Robert Mikelson and Grant Cox have designed a (prototype) 3D scanner powered by an Atmel-based Arduino board. Dubbed Rubicon 3D, the scanner allows Makers to easily turn real world objects into virtual 3D models.

“The webcam [which is not included] takes a picture of an object on the turntable with both lasers on and off, [while] the software looks for differences in those pictures to detect the shape of your object,” Mikelson and Cox explained in a recent Kickstarter post. “Next, the turntable turns 0.45 degrees and the process repeats: 800 steps for a full 360° revolution.”

After the scanning is complete, Makers can either export a raw hi-polygon mesh or have it structured and optimized.

“With the current setup, you can scan objects up to 160mm in diameter and about 250mm in height, but since the camera is movable, even bigger objects might fit in,” the duo added.

Interested in learning more? You can check out the Rubicon 3D scanner on the project’s official Kickstarter page here.

A tinyAVR USB volume knob

A Maker by the name of Rupert has designed a tinyAVR-powered USB volume knob based on Adafruit’s popular Trinket (Atmel ATtiny85) platform.

“After purchasing a Trinket to experiment with and Adafruit having a great mentality for Open Source Hardware, I decided to modify my own ATtiny85 volume control PCB to make it compatible with the Trinket’s 5Volt firmware (flash_me_hv_5volt.hex)! (which is Arduino compatible),” Rupert explained in a recent blog post. “This gives access to direct programming without the need for a separate programmer from the Arduino IDE. Its also nice to support the hard work done at Adafruit by purchasing one of their Trinkets.”

As the HackADay crew notes, an awesome looking RGB LED ring powered by Adafruit’s Neopixel was ultimately added to the design, albeit at the expense of a “mute” control.

“The PCB Rupert fabbed is pretty well suited for being manufactured one-sided,” wrote HackADay’s Brian Benchoff. “If you’ve ever wanted an awesome volume knob for your computer, all the files are available from Rupert‘s blog here.”

In addition to creating the above-mentioned tinyAVR USB volume knob, Rupert is reportedly working to load Adafruit’s Trinket bootloader on Atmel’s ATtiny84, an MCU with a total of 8 analog pins.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Adafruit’s popular Trinket can best be described as a tiny microcontroller board built around Atmel’s versatile ATtiny85.

“We wanted to design a microcontroller board that was small enough to fit into any project – and low cost enough to use without hesitation,” Adafruit’s Limor Fried (aka LadyAda) explained.

“[It is] perfect for when you don’t want to give up your expensive dev-board and you aren’t willing to take apart the project you worked so hard to design.”

Fried describes the Attiny85 as a “fun processor,” because despite being so small, it boasts 8K of flash and 5 I/O pins – including analog inputs and PWM ‘analog’ outputs.

“We designed a USB bootloader so you can plug it into any computer and reprogram it over a USB port just like an Arduino,” Fried continued. “In fact we even made some simple modifications to the Arduino IDE so that it works like a mini-Arduino board. You can’t stack a big shield on it but for many small and simple projects the Trinket will be your go-to platform.”

There are currently two versions of the Trinket: 3V and 5V. According to LadyAda, both work the same but have different operating logic voltages.

“Use the 3V one to interface with sensors and devices that need 3V logic, or when you want to power it off of a LiPo battery. The 3V version should only run at 8 MHz. Use the 5V one for sensors and components that can use or require 5V logic, [as] the 5V can run at 8 MHz or at 16MHz by setting the software-set clock frequency,” she added.

This lo-fi display is made of 64 wooden blocks

A Maker and artist by the name of Han Lee has created a slick lo-fi display. Dubbed Wooden Pixel Display 64, the project comprises a series of analog wooden blocks that act as digital pixels.

The lo-fi display is powered by an Arduino Uno (Atmel ATmega328) and four Adafruit 16-Channel 12-bit PWM/Servo Shields tasked with controlling 64 servos. Interestingly, the 64 wood pixels in a 8×8 grid were originally prototyped using LEGO.

“One pixel might make you bored but it gives you something interesting when pixels make a form together. The WPD64 [was] recently presented at a generative art show in NYC recently,” Lee explained. “[I used a] laser cutting service from Pololu.com for the front cover which should have 64 square holes at the perfect grid.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out additional photos and videos on Lee’s official page here.

FizzJelly with Atmel and the IoT

The Mobile Minds crew has debuted an Atmel-powered cellular connected platform designed to track and monitor a wide range of sensors. FizzJelly works straight out of the box, allowing users to effortlessly monitor and control their IoT devices.

“From motion to temperature and from water leaks to GPS tracking, [FizzJelly] will let you know by sending an alert,” a Mobile Minds rep explained in a recent Kickstarter post.

“It makes it easy to check to see if anyone has been in your house, find out where your car is, if your rooms have got too hot or cold or even turn on and off the lights.”

Indeed, users can command and query FizzJelly simply by sending and receiving text messages with a cell phone. To be sure, configuring and using FizzJelly is extremely simple, requiring a regular SIM card, a connected sensor and a text message. As expected, each unit can be configured with a unique PIN code to secure it against unauthorized access.

Additional key specs and features include:

• Atmel ATmega32U4 MCU (microcontroller)
• One internal temperature sensor
• 8 I/O ports
• One expansion port
• GPS module (optional)
• Programmable over Micro-USB
• GSM Quad Band – 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• Open Source development kit
• Power range 6v – 16v (Motion Detector requires 9v – 16v)
• Either Battery or AC adapter
• CE & FCC approved
• GCF (Worldwide approved module)
• PTCRB (North America approved module)

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered FizzJelly? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.

These robots make music

Steven Kemper studied music composition and computer technology at the University of Virginia. Unsurprisingly, he was always fascinated with robotic instruments that can be programmed to play music, respond to human musicians and even improvise.

So Kemper, along with colleagues Scott Barton and Troy Rogers, went on to found Expressive Machines Musical Instrument (EMMI), designing a Poly-tangent Automatic (multi)Monochord, also known as “PAM.”

As TechNewsWorld’s Vivian Wagner notes, the stringed instrument’s pitches are controlled by tangents – the equivalent of fingers – each of which is driven by a solenoid. Messages are sent from a computer via a USB to an [Atmel-powered] Arduino board, which switches the solenoids on and off.

PAM is also capable of receiving data from musical and gestural input devices – such as a MIDI keyboard, joystick or mouse – or from environmental sensors, allowing the platform to improvise its own music based on the programmer’s parameters and instructions.

“These instruments are not superior to human performers,” Kemper, now an assistant professor of music technology at Rutgers University, told TechNewsWorld. “They just provide some different possibilities.”

In addition to PAM, EMMI has created a variety of instruments, all of which can be programmed to play in multiple genres and settings.

“These instruments can improvise based on structures we determine or by listening to what performers are playing,” Kemper added. “We work with the free improv aesthetic and [our instruments] don’t fit into a particular musical genre. It’s improvising based on any decisions the performers make.”

The Smithsonian is going 3D

The Smithsonian has unveiled its X 3D Collection along with a new 3-D explorer in an effort to make museum collections and scientific specimens easier for the public to access and study. 

According to Günter Waibel, director of the Institution’s Digitization Program Office, the Smithsonian X 3D explorer and initial collection of scanned objects are the first step in showcasing how 3D technology is capable of transforming the work of the Smithsonian, as well as other museums and research institutions.

More specifically, the above-mentioned X 3D Collection features objects from the Smithsonian that highlight different applications of 3D capture and printing, along with digital delivery methods for 3D data in research, education and conservation including:

• The Wright Flyer (National Air and Space Museum): The 3D scan of the Wright Flyer allows users to explore the fine details of the artifact, providing a window into the Wright’s inventive genius and understanding of the principles of flight.
• Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory): This multi-wavelength 3D reconstruction of Cassiopeia A uses X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, infrared data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and optical data from NOAO’s 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak and the Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT 2.4-meter telescope.
• Fossil Whale (National Museum of Natural History): Smithsonian paleontologists and 3D staff conducted a time-sensitive documentation of the skeletons from the site (Chile) and captured essential data about the arrangement and condition of the skeletons before they were removed and the site was paved over.
• Cosmic Buddha (Freer and Sackler galleries): To study such low-relief compositions, scholars have traditionally made rubbings with black ink on white paper, which give stronger contrast to the outlines. 3D scanning, used with a wide variety of imaging techniques, can give even more clarity to the designs.

To view these and other objects scanned using 3D technology, the Smithsonian and San Francisco-based Autodesk created the Smithsonian X 3D explorer which allows users to easily rotate models, take accurate measurements between points and adjust color and lighting. The explorer is also equipped with a storytelling feature, enabling Smithsonian curators and educators to create guided tours of the models.

In addition to viewing objects using the explorer, the raw 3D data itself will be made available for downloading and printing, both for personal and noncommercial use. Teachers and other educators can use the data to create realistic 3D models of these objects for use in the classroom.

It should be noted that additional support for the Smithsonian’s 3D efforts was provided by 3D Systems, which helped scan, design and print objects from several Smithsonian museums, including one of the large fossilized whales found in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Atmel debuts new low-power 8-bit tinyAVR MCUs

Atmel has expanded its low-power 8-bit tinyAVR family with the addition of the ATtiny441 and ATtiny841. As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the 8-bit AVR MCUs are ideal for cost-effective consumer applications such as computer accessories, thermostats, personal health accessories and a wide range of Maker projects.

According to Atmel’s Director of Flash-based MCUs Ingar Fredriksen, the new ATtiny 441/841 MCUs boast higher system integration with intuitive tools and peripherals to help facilitate optimized performance with lower power consumption. Indeed, the ultra-low power 14-pin tinyAVR MCUs deliver enhanced analog and communication capabilities for an overall lower system cost in a smaller package.

“Atmel has been the 8-bit MCU leader for more than a decade and continues to think beyond the core, enabling our customers to differentiate their end products,” said Fredriksen. “Our AVRs have been popular since its inception and continue to be the MCU of choice both for professional engineers in consumer and industrial applications and among our 300,000 members in the AVR Freaks community consisting of engineers, hobbyists and Makers.”

As Fredriksen notes, the ATtiny441/841 devices are powerful MCUs packaged in a small form factor. More specifically, the new ATtiny441 and ATtiny841 MCUs feature an uber-mini 3×3 QFN package and 4 and 8KB of Flash memory, respectively.

“The new devices offer enhanced analog performance, including an ADC with calibrated multilevel internal analog reference, with 12 ADC channels on a 14-pin device, two independent USARTs with wake-up from power down without data loss, SPI interface and an I2C slave interface for enhanced communication capabilities,” Fredriksen continued. “In addition, the devices feature flexible clocking options, including a ± 2% internal oscillator with fast wake-up, which allows the UARTs to communicate without the need of an external crystal and wake-up from sleep without data loss.”

As expected, the ATtiny441/841 devices are fully supported by Atmel Studio 6, the integrated development platform (IDP) for developing and debugging Atmel ARM Cortex-M and Atmel AVR MCU-based applications. Simply put, Atmel Studio 6 IDP offers devs a seamless, easy-to-use environment to write, build, simulate, program and debug applications written in C/C++ or assembly code using the integrated GCC compiler and AVR assembler. AS6 also provides easy access to the online Atmel Gallery apps store and Atmel Spaces, a cloud-based collaborative development workspace allowing the designer to host software and hardware projects targeting Atmel MCUs.

To help accelerate devs and Makers accelerate ATtiny441/841 AVR MCU designs, the new devices are supported by Atmel’s AVR Dragon Board which can be snapped up at the Atmel Online Store for USD $49. The ATtiny841 and ATtiny441 are also supported by the STK600, AVRONE, JTAGICE mkII, JTAGICE3 and AVRISPmkII development tools.

The ATtiny441/841 is currently available in mass production, with samples that can be ordered here. Readers who are Maker interested in testing their creativity with AVR MCUs (including the new ATtiny441/841 AVR MCUs) may want to check out Atmel’s very own Master Maker Design Contest here.

First desktop wire bender hits Kickstarter

The first desktop CNC wire bender has hit Kickstarter with an Atmel MCU (ATxmega192/TinyG) under the hood. Created by Pensa Labs, the DIWire transforms drawn curves into bent wire that can be assembled to make just about anything.

“To date, desktop manufacturing has focused on 3D printers outputting plastic volumes and laser cutters cutting 2D planes. However, nothing exists that converts lines into bent rod, wire or tubular forms quickly, accurately, and repeatedly,” the Pensa Labs crew wrote in a recent Kickstarter post. “The DIWire can bend various metals and plastics, allowing for the output to be used as the final product. Additionally, the build volume is limited only by the length of the wire.”

Indeed, by being transportable, accessible and affordable, the DIWire fills the market gap between time-consuming hand-bending and large scale, mass production CNC wire bending, which is often too costly for custom, short-run productions.

This significantly changes the dynamics of STEM education, as well as local, mass customized, prototype and just-in-time manufacturing for industries ranging from aerospace, automotive, medical, to consumer products.

So what can DIWire be used to create? Specific examples listed on Kickstarter include antennas, robotics, architecture models, design prototypes, art, furniture, jewelry, small crafts, surgical implants, orthodonture, puppetry, lighting, stage sets and signage.

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered DIWire? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.