15-year-olds code mobile 3D printing app

A number of 3D printers currently on the market require some form of a connection with a PC to operate or configure. However, fifteen-year-olds Gerhard de Clercq and Pieter Sholtz recently decided that they wanted to interact with their Atmel-powered RepRap 3D printer using a smartphone.

So the duo went ahead and coded a basic app for a Microsoft Windows phone. According to Daniel O’Connor of Prsnlz.me, users simply upload an STL, press a button to slice the file into G-Code and then Bluetooth it to the printer.

In the video above, the two printed a case for a Nokia 820 from a Nokia 920, showing how numerous functions can be easily controlled by a smartphone, including temperature and z-axis.

Pieter and Gerhard told Prsnlz.me that their aim is to make 3D printing more accessible for individuals in developing countries who own smartphones but lack access to more traditional PCs.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has been using Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

Indeed, the meteoric rise of 3D printing has paved the way for a new generation of Internet entrepreneurs, Makers and do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers. So it comes as little surprise that the lucrative 3D printing industry remains on track to be worth a staggering $3 billion by 2016.

G3D is a new RepRap printer (Prusai3)

Earlier this week, GADGETS3D announced a new RepRap 3D printer based on the popular Prusai3 build.

According to the 3Ders crew, the small, low-cost G3D 3D printer is specifically designed for use in schools, SMBs and individual customers. The G3D is slated to ship in November, with an initial price tag of $499.

Key technical specs include:

• Build Volume (L | W | H – mm) 200 x 200 x 200
• Precise laser cut acrylic frame
• Wade style Extruder
• G3D Hot-End for 1.75mm/3mm PLA/ABS (pre-assembled)
• Nozzle diameter 0.4mm/0.5mm
• Material – 1.75mm/3mm PLA, ABS, Nylon, Laybrick, Laywood
• High power RAMPS (Atmel-Arduino Mega) 1.4 electronics (pre-configured)
• G3D Stepper Motor drivers
• High torque NEMA 17 Steppers Motors
• G3D LCD display with G3D Shield including SD card reader and SD Card for standalone operation
• Four-point platform leveling
• Removable acrylic sheet for good adhesion and easy part removing
• Recommended software: RepetierHost & Slic3r
• Assembly manual
• Marlin firmware (pre-configured)

You can read more about the G3D on the official GADGETS3D page here.

CNBC analyzes open source hardware

Writing for CNBC, Tom DiChristopher confirms that the rapidly evolving open-source hardware (OSHW) movement is currently in the process of migrating from the garage to the marketplace.

As DiChristopher notes, companies that follow an open-source philosophy make their physical designs and software code available to the public. By doing so, they engage a wave of Makers, hobbyists and designers who don’t just want to buy products, but rather, offer a helping hand in developing them.

“Patents still work as an incentive for some people, but for a growing number of companies, sharing is more lucrative and fulfilling,” Alicia Gibb, executive director of the Open Source Hardware Association, told CNBC.

Gibb specifically highlighted Atmel-powered Arduino boards as an example of popular open hardware, pointing out that one of the biggest assets open-source hardware manufacturers have is the communities they’ve built among users who share their values and their roots as Makers.

“[For example], one of the things that the Arduino has that cannot be duplicated no matter how cheap you make it is the community that surrounds it,” said Gibb. “Even if somebody else comes along and tried to sell something cheaper I don’t think it would matter.”

According to Catarina Mota, research chair at the Open Source Hardware Association, the rise of open-source hardware companies can be attributed to a number of cultural and technological trends. Indeed, hardware makers have built on the open-source software movement that gained steam in the ’90s, while the ubiquity of the Internet allows hobbyists to collaborate on physical products. The barriers to making hardware and other equipment have also fallen, says Mota, thanks to cheaper prototyping tools such as the Atmel-powered MakerBot and RepRap 3D printers.

The rapid growth of the movement is also reflected in the success of marketplaces for DIY developers and open-source enthusiasts like New York-based Adafruit Industries, a company which uses Atmel microprocessors (MCUs) in a number of its platforms, including FLORA and Trinket. To be sure, Adafruit’s revenue has tripled year over year, with the company expecting full-year revenue for 2013 to reach $20 million. Of course, customers are not just limited to hobbyists and isolated Makers.

“Our customers are moving more and more towards commercial endeavors and a very large portion of our orders are from professionals at very large companies,” Limor Fried, founder of Adafruit, told CNBC.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, perhaps the greatest success to date in OSHW (open-source hardware) has been the Atmel-powered Arduino, primarily because it established a vibrant ecosystem. Writing in Electronic Design, David Tarrant and Andrew Back note that all the hardware design files were made available – so both Makers and engineers could study the design and extend it for their own purposes in a commercial or non-commercial context.

“These files were combined with an accessible and equally flexible software platform. [Clearly], Arduino has benefited from derivative and complementary third-party hardware and is today a growing brand with a strong reputation for quality,” the two explained.

“Following its example, hardware companies are increasingly seeing OSHW as an opportunity to seed the market and educational establishments with their technology. Development kit design files are increasingly available under open-source licenses. And as was the case with software, more reusable components are becoming available.”

According to Tarrant and Back, another key product example of the OSHW revolution is the Atmel-powered MakerBot 3D printer, the initial generations of which were entirely based on open-source design.

“Although open-source hardware has to date largely been seen as existing at the simpler end of the electronics design spectrum, it embraces two major assets within the engineering community—goodwill and collective intelligence—and is being recognized as an important movement with increasing opportunities across both industry and education,” the two added.

Walt Disney sees a 3D printer in every family home

Earlier this week, Walt Disney International chairman Andy Bird predicted that there would be a 3D printer in every family’s home within the next decade.

Bird, who was speaking on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, said 3D printing technology remains on track to “revolutionize” the way the world works.

“Every home in ten years, probably less than that, will have its own 3D printer just as homes now have a 2D or laser printer,” he opined.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bird confirmed that Disney is currently examining various methods of utilizing 3D technology in its theme parks around the world.

“We’ll be working with the technology where you can easily capture the facial features of individual guests in a very fast way, so you can then turn those features and put them onto dolls,” he added.

“We’ve been doing that with Stars Wars whereby you can buy a Luke Skywalker doll that you can put your face onto.”

Joshua Pearce, an associate professor at Michigan Tech, expressed similar sentiments in a recent article covered on Bits & Pieces.

“For the average American consumer, 3D printing is ready for showtime,” Pearce explained. “3D printers [may] have been the purview of a relative few aficionados, but that is changing fast. The reason is financial: the typical family can already save a great deal of money by making things with a 3D printer instead of buying them off the shelf.”

As Pearce notes, open-source 3D printers for home use typically have price tags ranging from about $350 to $2,000.

“[Plus], you don’t need to be an engineer or a professional technician to set up a 3D printer,” said Pearce. “Some can be set up in under half an hour, and even the RepRap can be built in a weekend by a reasonably handy do-it-yourselfer.”

Pearce also emphasized that 3D printing likely heralds a new world in which consumers have many more choices – where nearly everything can be customized.

“With the exponential growth of free designs and expansion of 3D printing, we are creating enormous potential wealth for everyone,” he noted. “It would be a different kind of capitalism, where you don’t need a lot of money to create wealth for yourself or even start a business.”

How 3D printing empowers Makers

Chelsea Schelly, assistant professor of social sciences at Michigan Tech, says 3D printing can be used to help empower individuals.

“When you produce something yourself instead of purchasing it, that changes your relationship to it,” Schelly explained. “You are empowered by it.”

As Dennis Walikainen of Michigan Tech News notes, the principle might sound simple at first, although its ramifications are wide ranging, especially for middle and high school educators. In fact, that’s where Schelly’s 3D printing research began – at a teacher workshop coordinated by 3D printing guru Joshua Pearce.

During the workshop, one local high school teacher designed and printed a snowblower part that typically retails for $200.

“Instead, he made it himself and saved the money. And he saved the hassle of bringing the machine to the shop to get it fixed,” said Schelly. “The early feedback from the teachers is that the students are more engaged. They take pride in making these things for themselves. This could be seen as part of the larger ‘Maker’s Movement,’ where people are doing their own production processes.”

Joshua Pearce concurred, noting that more individuals are likely to begin designing and creating their own products as 3D printer prices drop significantly.

“As 3D printing [is] open-sourced, the costs plummeted from tens of thousands of dollars to $1,600 for assembled printers today, and the new RepRap printers are down to $500 in parts. As the price drop continues, they will become household items, like desktop printers. This has the potential to disrupt the way we manufacture,” he explained.

“The number of designs is exploding. There are a lot of helpers out there. Give us what you’ve got, and we’ll build on it and give you what we’ve got—and we all benefit. [For example], an open-source Chinese smartphone, made with a 3D printer, was [recently] posted online for $130, and 100,000 sold in 90 seconds.”

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has been using Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing has clearly entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

Indeed, the meteoric rise of 3D printing has paved the way for a new generation of Internet entrepreneurs, Makers and do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers. So it comes as little surprise that the lucrative 3D printing industry is on track to be worth a staggering $3 billion by 2016.

Video: 3D printing a 1927 Miller 91 race car

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the Maker Movement has been well acquainted with Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing has clearly entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the manufacturing industry, the medical sphere, architectural arena and science lab.

Recently, Cideas, a Rapid Prototyping consulting company based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, created a rather impressive replica of the 1927 Miller 91 race car using 3D printing technology – with the entire process completed in just 6 short weeks.

According to the folks at 3Ders, the 40% scale model car was created with 100% 3D-printed parts, including frame rails, wire wheels, body, steering wheel and grille.

“The CAD model was created with SolidWorks software by designer Bill Gould, one of Fallbrook Engineering’s most talented Senior Associates. His friend Mike Littrell, CEO of CIDEAS, saw it and together with his team, they created a scale version of the car using 3D printing,” said the 3Ders crew. “Some of parts were sent out to be chromed and finished in a shiny fashion, and the final version of this replica of the 1927 Miller 91 model car is truly amazing.”

Designing an open source baby monitor

Earlier this year, a team of researchers from FabLab Pisa and the University of Pisa’s Center for Bioengineering and Robotics kicked off an exciting new project known as OS4BME, or Open Source for Biomedical Engineering.

The project’s goal? Introducing the medical device world to a DIY & Makers philosophy. Indeed, OS4BME wants to help facilitate the development of simple, low-cost and high-impact biomedical devices such as neonatal baby monitors.

The course took take place at Kenyatta University (Nairobi) and involved a number of staggered tracks, including configuring a 3D printing system, developing a neonatal monitoring device, using open source and designing solar-powered electronics based on the Atmel-powered Arduino platform.

In July, Arduino announced its official support for the project, sending the research team a number of UNO boards (ATmega328), along with Wi-Fi and GSM shields used during the course. The components were subsequently donated to the Kenyatta University and Fablab Nairobi.

Arti Ahluwalia (Professor of Bioengineering), Daniele Mazzei and Carmelo De Maria (Biomedical Engineers, co-founders of FabLab Pisa and researchers at the Center) have since returned to Italy where they were recently interviewed by Arduino’s Zoe Romano.

“We decided to use open source tools to design and prototype the baby monitor because we believe economic barriers can’t stop the creative process. Our results will be the starting point for future projects, following the open source philosophy,” the FabLab Pisa team told Romano.

“[Our] baby monitor [was] composed by a 3D-printed mechanical frame, an electronic board and a control software. Thus, in order, we used FreeCAD for mechanical design, MeshLab to analyze the quality of the mesh, Slic3r to generate the machine code, Pronterface to send commands to a Prusa Mendel RepRap. The brain of the baby monitor, electronic and software, is based on Arduino. ”

According to FabLab Pisa, the project was an “immediate” success, if even most students and staff were initially unaware of the existence of tools such as Arduino, FreeCad, Slicer and Media Wiki.

“The course was instrumental in bringing this knowledge to the participants, and their keen interest throughout the introductory part, particularly on 3D printing and rapid prototyping was apparent,” the FabLab team added. “[Currently], the University of Pisa is working with the ABEC and Boston University to raise funds for further courses and student and staff exchange.”

3D-printed metal rocket engine tested in Mojave

Students associated with the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) successfully conducted a hot fire test for a 3D-printed metal rocket engine this past weekend. Dubbed “Tri-D,” the rocket was put through its paces in the Mojave Desert.

“It was a resounding success,” said SEDS President Deepak Atyam. “[We think Tri-D] could be the next step in the development of cheaper propulsion systems and a commercializing of space.”

To build the engine, students used a proprietary design they developed. The engine was primarily financed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. and printed by the Illinois-based GPI Prototype and Manufacturing Services.

According to Atyam, the engine was designed to power the third stage of a rocket carrying several NanoSat-style satellites with a mass of less than a few pounds each.

As such, the engine measures approximately 6-7 inches in length and weighs about 10 lbs. Made of cobalt and chromium (a high-grade alloy), the rocket is designed to generate 200 lbs of thrust running on kerosene and liquid oxygen.

Tri-D cost about $6,800 to manufacture, $5,000 of which was contributed by NASA. The rest was raised via student-run fundraisers.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the meteoric rise of 3D printing has paved the way for a new generation of Internet entrepreneurs, Makers and do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers. So it comes as little surprise that the lucrative 3D printing industry is on track to be worth a staggering $3 billion by 2016.

Of course, the Maker Movement has been well acquainted with Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

3D printing is the greener choice

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has been using Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

Indeed, the meteoric rise of 3D printing has paved the way for a new generation of Internet entrepreneurs, Makers and do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers. So it comes as little surprise that the lucrative 3D printing industry is on track to be worth a staggering $3 billion by 2016. Recently, researchers at Michigan Technological University confirmed that in addition to being cheaper, 3D printing is also greener than more traditional manufacturing methods.

“Most 3D printers for home use, like the RepRap used in this study, are about the size of microwave ovens. They work by melting filament, usually plastic, and depositing it layer by layer in a specific pattern,” explained Marcia Goodrich of Michigan Tech News. “Common sense would suggest that mass-producing plastic widgets would take less energy per unit than making them one at a time on a 3D printer. [However, our recent study] showed that making [items] on a 3D printer uses less energy – and therefore releases less carbon dioxide – than producing it en masse in a factory and shipping it to a warehouse.”

Photo Credit: Samuel Bernier, Michigan Tech

According to Goodrich, the researchers, led by Joshua Pearce, conducted life cycle impact analyses on three products: an orange juicer, a children’s building block and a waterspout. The cradle-to-gate analysis of energy use went from raw material extraction to one of two endpoints: entry into the US for an item manufactured overseas or printing it a home on a 3D printer.

Pearce’s group found that making the items on a basic 3D printer took from 41 percent to 64 percent less energy than making them in a factory and shipping them to the US, with some of the savings originating from the use of “less raw” material.

“Children’s blocks are normally made of solid wood or plastic,” said Pearce. “[Remember], 3D printed blocks can be made partially or even completely hollow, requiring much less plastic.”

Pearce also noted that his team ran its analysis with two common types of plastic filament used in 3D printing, including polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is made from renewable resources, such as cornstarch, making it a greener alternative to petroleum-based plastics. In addition, the team conducted a separate analysis on products made using solar-powered 3D printers, which drove down the environmental impact even further.

“The bottom line is, we can get substantial reductions in energy and CO2 emissions from making things at home,” Pearce added. “And the home manufacturer would be motivated to do the right thing and use less energy, because it costs so much less to make things on a 3D printer than to buy them off the shelf or on the Internet.”

Gartner: 49% growth for 3D printer shipments in 2013

Analysts at Gartner say worldwide shipments of 3D printers (3DPs) priced less than $100,000 will increase 49 percent in 2013, reaching an impressive total of 56,507 units. Shipments are slated to increasing further in 2014, jumping 75 percent to 98,065 units, followed by a near doubling of unit shipments in 2015.

According to Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner, rapid quality and performance innovations across all 3DP technologies are primarily responsible for driving enterprise and consumer demand.

“As the products rapidly mature, organizations will increasingly exploit 3D printing’s potential in their laboratory, product development and manufacturing operations,” Basiliere explained. “In the next 18 months, we foresee consumers moving from being curious about the technology to finding reasons to justify purchases as price points, applications and functionality become more attractive.”

More specifically, combined end-user spending on 3DPs will reach $412 million in 2013, up 43 percent from spending of $288 million in 2012. Enterprise spending is projected to total more than $325 million in 2013, while the consumer segment will reach nearly $87 million. In 2014, spending is slated to increase 62 percent, reaching $669 million, with enterprise spending of $536 million and consumer spending of $133 million.

From an enterprise point of view, current uses of 3D technology focus on one-off or small-run models for product design and industrial prototyping, jigs and fixtures used in manufacturing processes and mass customization of finished goods. However, as advances in 3D printers, scanners, design tools and materials reduce the cost and complexity of creating 3D printed items, the applications of 3D print technology will continue to expand to include architecture, defense, medical products and jewelry design.

As such, 3D printing will have a high impact on industries, including consumer products, industrial and manufacturing; a medium impact on construction, education, energy, government, medical products, military, retail, telecommunications, transportation and utilities; as well as a low impact on banking and financial services and insurance.

“Most businesses are only now beginning to fully comprehend all of the ways in which a 3DP can be cost-effectively used in their organizations, from prototyping and product development to fixtures and molds that are used to manufacture or assemble an item to drive finished goods,” said Basiliere. “Now that many people in the organization, not only the engineering and manufacturing department managers but also senior corporate management, marketing management and others, have heard the hype, they want to know when the business will have a 3D printer.”

Unsurprisingly, 3D printer prices are projected to decrease during the next several years due to competitive pressures and higher shipment volumes, even after allowing for providers who will be offering devices with higher performance, functionality and quality that enable them to hold the line on pricing. To be sure, 7 of the 50 largest multinational retailers will likely sell 3D printers through their physical and online stores by 2015.

“Simply experiencing the technology and conceiving ways to use it will mainly drive makers and hobbyists, not the average consumer, to purchase a 3D printer to begin with. However, we expect that a compelling consumer application — something that can only be created at home on a 3D printer — will hit the scene by 2016,” Basiliere added.

“This application, which will be the most compelling use case yet for consumer 3D printing, will arise from work done by makers and other enthusiasts who push the envelope of consumer 3D printing uses and enabled by manufacturers who develop ‘plug-and-play’ tools.”

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has been using Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere,architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.