MAKE Visits the Inaugural Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo
Nick Normal and I attended the first Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo recently. Here’s a collection of our pictures and recollections.
Digital Fabrication
Digital fabrication tools have revolutionized the way designers, engineers, and artisans express their creativity. With the right resources, you can learn to use these powerful instruments in no time! Whether it’s 3D printing or laser cutting that interests you, these articles will provide useful tutorials and inspiration for makers of all levels. Discover how digital fabrication can open up new possibilities so that your craftsmanship is truly extraordinary!
Metrix Open Hardware Lab’s Brainwave RepRap Controller
Located inside Metrix Create:Space at the heart of Seattle, Metrix Open Hardware Lab features a pick and place machine and a reflow soldering line for manufacturing various open source electronics. Its first product, the Brainwave, purports to be the lowest-cost alzl-in-one 3D printer control board solution on the market.
Being a Printer Master: Managing Mass Printing in a Makerspace
Sure, your 3D Printer runs reliably as long as it sits safely at home, but what would happen if dozens of college students used it each week? Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering student Jeff Landrum discusses the challenges behind building, managing, and automating a “printer farm” at one of the largest student-run makerspaces in the country.
Visiting Fab Lab Manchester
On a recent visit to Manchester to attend the Future Everything summit, I couldn’t pass up the chance to visit the UK’s first fab lab, housed in a striking, slab-like building in the waterside district of one of Britain’s great industrial cities. I spoke to Eddie Kirkby (of the Manufacturing Institute) and Haydn Insley (fab lab manager) to find out how the fab lab movement is spreading into the UK.
MAKE at RoboGames: A Discussion with Lem Fugitt about Humanoids
Humanoid robot competition is one part of RoboGames that seems to be dominated by Japanese roboticists. Lem Fugitt, who runs Robots Dreams, has been involved with the humanoid robot scene in Japan for nine years, and tends to bring a few “professional” Robo-One players with him on his annual trip to RoboGames. We spoke with him about how he got involved in the Robo-One scene and how 3D Printing has started to benefit the builders.
Teaching 3D Design Thinking with The City X Project
“Humans have just landed on an Earth-like alien planet. They’ve staked out an area for the capital, City X, and have sent back a 3D map of the location with many challenges to be solved by their engineers on Earth, a vast team of young designers all around the world.”
A Conversation With 3D Artist Joshua Harker
Joshua Harker has been a maker and artist his whole life. He worked professionally as a product and toy designer for a few years before turning to 3D art. Within the last year and a half, he’s created the first and fourth most funded sculpture projects on Kickstarter, and sold thousands of beautiful works of art, all created with 3D Printing. I spoke to him about his process and his views on the current state of the 3D Printing industry.