Our refurbished UP 3D printer arrived last week, on loan from 3D Printing Systems (thanks Bruce!). We are very impressed by its performance so far, especially the resolution.
Cameron has been busy using it to print beads (see his first creation above). He has even created a ‘Bead Generator’ that interfaces with OpenSCAD and allows users to design their own beads ready for 3D printing!
We like to think of ourselves as creatively-minded folk here at ANAT – which includes finding beauty in our failures (and we have a LOT of failed prints from our Thing-o-matic!). We’ve made some of them into a garden, which will no doubt keep growing and growing…..
All has been a bit quiet from the ANAT Makerblog team recently – we have been busy commencing preparations for the set up of Fab Lab Adelaide! More about that shortly – but in the meantime we are very excited that the MIT Fab Lab team will be in Australasia shortly, for Fab8NZ.
Fab8NZ is the eighth international Fab Lab Forum and Symposium on Digital Fabrication. The College of Creative Arts at Massey University in Wellington will be hosting this prestigious event, in conjunction with MIT’s Centre for Bits and Atoms (CBA), from August 22-28th 2012. At the end of the event, Fab Lab Wgtn, Australasia’s first ever Fab Lab, will be launched.
The event is a must for anyone in Australasia with an interest in digital fabrication and the amazing phenomenon of the international Fab Lab network. The agenda includes a weekend of hands-on workshops (aimed at designers, artists, creators, makers and hackers), and a one day Symposium on Digital Fabrication, hosted by Fab Labs founder Professor Neil Gershenfeld of MIT on Monday 27th August. Presenters at the Symposium include:
More information including a draft agenda can be found at the Fab8NZ website. We hope that anyone over this side of the world with an interest in Fab Labs and digital fabrication is able to join us there!
Yet another 3D printing application that blows ours minds. Virginia Tech has just installed the DreamVendor – “an interactive 3D printing station” for students to fabricate prototypes for their design projects.
The station contains four MakerBot Thing-O-Matics. Students just need to save a design onto an SD card, insert it in the slot, then watch it being printed out before their eyes. Very cool.
We bought this very cool miniature version of Dutch kinetic artist Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests (a series of wind walking artificial life forms) from Shapeways. It needs a bit of loosening up to enable it to walk on its own so here’s a little film of us taking it out for some exercise!
Our favourite Theo Jansen quote:”The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds.”
View the original full size Strandbeests here.
Astounding film from Dutch research organisation TMO demonstrating what the future of manufacturing could look like. Their ‘Print Valley’ machine allows multiple different objects to be printed simultaneously in a variety of materials via a high speed robotic production line. Please note there is no sound on this clip.
Generative design 3D printed earrings from One Just One
Just received these super cute earrings from Shapeways – tiny but delightful! They were created by community-based design company One Just One using generative design.
Generative design is a technique that allows multiple variations of an object to be created, while retaining the object’s core functionality. Or more simply put, if the object is a cup, its appearance can be changed, but it will still be able to function as a cup. The technique allows for truly unique one-off designs to be created.
Us Makerblog folk are big fans of generative design and we highly recommend you check out the One Just One shop on Shapeways to see the potential for this exciting technology. Each item for sale is unique – once it is sold, it is removed from the shop.
One Just One help designers who are passionate about design and technology to create works of value based on generative design and 3D printing.
3D Printing Systems has kindly loaned ANAT an UP! 3D printer (thanks Bruce!). Continue reading
Crowds at the SheppARTon Festival watching 3D printers in action
ANAT was invited by RiAus to give a 3D printing demonstration at the SheppARTon Festival on Saturday March 10th, as part of the RiAus ‘Free Range Science’ program of live science events in regional Victoria. Continue reading
Items printed with ANAT's Makerbot
