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Stone And Rope 3D Printing with Rock Print

Rock Print is a robotic 3d printer that lays textile ropes on bed of stones conceting them and makong an architectural shape.

Rock Print in action:

Project description:

Rock Print is the first architectural installation to be built from low-grade granular material and constructed by robotic machines. Conceived as an intriguing vertical object, the installation presents a radically new approach to The State of the Art of Architecture – the official title of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial 2015 – and brings forward a new category of random packed, potentially fully reusable, poly-dispersed jammed structures that can be automatically fabricated in non-standard shapes. Following an initial period of robotic assembly, the installation will comprise a large-scale architectural artefact in its completed form, exhibiting distinct features, such as, for example, full material reversibility and the respective reusability of the aggregated materials; structurally active interlocking, differentiated structural performance, while yielding high geometric flexibility and articulation. Performing a full scale 3D “rock printing process” that uses the self-aggregating capacities of the material itself, this visionary project is the first collaborative installation by Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, and the Self-Assembly Lab, MIT. The Chicago Architecture Biennial will open on 3rd October 2015 and will close on 3rd January 2016. For more information: www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org

Credits
Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, and Self-Assembly Lab, MIT
Team
Fabio Gramazio, Matthias Kohler, Skylar Tibbits, Andreas Thoma (project lead installation), Petrus Aejmelaeus-Lindstroem (project lead research), Volker Helm, Sara Falcone, Lina Kara’in, Jared Laucks, Michael Lyrenmann, Carrie McKnelly, George Varnavides, Stephane de Weck, Jan Willmann
Selected experts
Prof. Dr. Hans J. Herrmann and Dr. Falk K. Wittel (ETH Zurich), Prof. Dr. Heinrich Jaeger and Kieran Murphy (Chicago University)

Selected consultants
Walt + Galmarini AG
Support
The project is supported by ETH Zurich and the Department of Architecture as well as by an ETH Zurich Research Grant. It is co-supported by MIT’s Department of Architecture, the MIT International Design Center, and an MIT International Science and Technology Initiative (MISTI) Grant.

Big 3D Printed Bolt and Longest Wooden Crossbow

Joerg Sprave is master of crazy slingshots and archery devices. In his latest video he tests a large 3d printed arrow printed by Myminifactory and his big big rubber band crossbow pistol.

Bolt was tipped with a big metal nail and it penetrates a wooden target:

Revolutionary MultiFab 3D Printer

MIT CSAIL is an innovation powerhouse and they presented their Multifab 3D printer that can use up to 10 different materials, uses computer vision to adjust operations and can embed objects into prints. It even cost just around 7000 USD. Hopefully the MIT will release some of the designs under open source license.

MultiFab video presentation:

MultiFab description:

We have developed a multi-material 3D printing platform that is high-resolution, low-cost, and extensible. The key part of our platform is an integrated machine vision system. This system allows for self-calibration of printheads, 3D scanning, and a closed-feedback loop to enable print corrections. The integration of machine vision with 3D printing simplifies the overall platform design and enables new applications such as 3D printing over auxiliary parts.

Furthermore, our platform dramatically expands the range of parts that can be 3D printed by simultaneously supporting up to 10 different materials that can interact optically and mechanically. The platform achieves a resolution of at least 40 micrometers by utilizing piezoelectric inkjet printheads adapted for 3D printing. The hardware is low cost (less than $7,000) since it is built exclusively from off-the-shelf components.

The architecture is extensible and modular -- adding, removing, and exchanging printing modules can be done quickly. We provide a detailed analysis of the system's performance. We also demonstrate a variety of fabricated multi-material objects.

MultiFab project homepage:

http://cfg.mit.edu/content/multifab-machine-vision-assisted-platform-multi-material-3d-printing

Detailed paper about MultiFab:

http://cfg.mit.edu/sites/cfg.mit.edu/files/paper.pdf

Compilation Of Tutorials On How To Build A 3D Printer Or Small CNC From Junk Parts

Here is a small tutorial links compilation that will grow in the future on how to make a simple and ultra cheap 3d printer or CNC from reclaimed or junk electronic and structural parts. Tutorials are very detailed and will help you to start with this technology, educate someone or save some parts form trash.

Beginners junk optical drive DIY 3d printer

Instructables guide:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Complete-newbie-step-by-step-3D-printer-with-all-p/

CD/DVD Drive CNC-3D Printer

Here is another machine made from discarded optical drives it is used as small CNC and plotter.

Step-by-step build guide:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Compact-CNC3D-Printer/

Ad(strap)apto

This is a hackable 3d printer based on common drawer runners or rails. You can purchase them or take them from junk furniture.

Detailed construction guide:

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-low-cost-3D-printer-with-basic-tools/

Rugged and raw DIY style ... it is worth to gut some kitchen cabinets to build it ...

Apis Cor Circular House 3D Printer

Apis Core presents their construction 3d printer which has an interesting new design somewhat similar to polar movement machines. It looks like it has many advantages over regular three axis setups of current building printers.

Apis Cor presentation:

Apis Cor in operation extruding cement paste:

Company homepage:

http://www.apis-cor.com/

Chimera DLP 3D Printer You Can Build for Under 60$

Here is one of the cheapest DIY 3d printers you can make, with cost at around 60 USD, and it is DLP SLA machine!
It also comes with very detailed construction guide made by the developer "matstermind".

How can the price be so low? Mostly by using used or scraped parts. You can see it in the parts list below.

Bill of materials:

1x Mitsubishi XD221u 1024x768 video projector, used or second-hand $50
1x computer disc drive laser deck assembly (must be one with a stepper motor), free from scrap disc drive
1x Arduino UNO / Duemilanove or atmega328 based Arduino clone, $4 ebay, used or second-hand
1x Easydriver v4.4, $2 from ebay
misc wire, solder, etc.
(optional) Ability to etch circuit boards (you can protoboard/breadboard it if you have to)
(possibly) 5v, .5A power supply. Some laser decks can be powered by the USB port by the Arduino, some may need a power supply to be plugged into the Arduino or M+ on the easydriver to make the motor move. It will depend on the power of your USB port. My deck did not need one.
Total=$55.5
(optional for frame) scrap wood for free or 2x4ft MDF board or $10 from hardware store

Looks rough and simple with wood frame. I like the style ...

Chimera is named inspired by mythological creature that is made up of three different animals since this printer is made by using the recycled/modified parts of three different categories (projector, toys, and old computer stuff), hence the name.

Video of Chimera working its DLP resin hardening magic:

Print quality looks good:

Chimera has a very detailed construction guide at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Chimera-60-DLP-resin-3d-printer/

When Cliff Decides to Print a Big Alien Head ...

Cliff is from Sweden. Cliff has hobbies. One of them is 3d printing.
Big Alien heads.
On the Wanhao 5S.

YOU GO CLIFF!

Ribbed for pleasure ...

Finished Alien in black coating:

SLA 3D Printed Working DIY RC Micro Drone "Air-Form 1"

Thingiverse user "niklasm" designed and 3d printed a fully working micro RC drone from tough resin on a Form 1.

Technical specifications:

battery: 150mAh
thrust: 54g
weight: 60g
wingspan: 58cm
dihedral: 15deg
flight time: 11min

Non-Printed Parts:

specktrum ar6410
150mAh battery
laTrax motor
laTrax bearings
laTrax gear/propshaft
laTrax prop
3/32in X 7/32in X 3ft rectangular carbon rod
3/16in carbon tube
7/64 carbon rod
3ft X 3in X 3/32 balsa board
1/32in music wire
superglue

All the files to make it and instructions can be found at:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1051655

Robogami 3D printable Folding Micro Robots

Project homepage:

http://actu.epfl.ch/news/a-folding-robot-weighing-4-grams-that-crawls-and-j/

Small swarm or triad ... they are friendly ... for now

From DIY 3d printing history 5 - Early days of house printers

As far as I remember first time I saw house 3d printer was with Enrico Dinis D-shape.

PDF presentation:

http://www.d-shape.com/d_shape_presentation.pdf

... some CNC sites named it the house CNC router: http://www.bg-cnc.com/wordpress/?p=592

But even in earlier times, 1940ies, machines existed to make houses by direct deposit of cement mixture. Sure, they used big cement mold but it was probably the birth of an idea.

Source:

http://www.citylab.com/tech/2015/08/this-1940s-house-building-machine-was-the-original-3-d-printer/400967/

3D Printable DIY Ion Thruster and EmDrive

Space will be colonized by human race, 3d printing will help but chemical rockets won't get us far. Here are two propulsion methods that you will be able to make and demonstrate here on Earth with some help of your 3d printer. Ideal for educational purposes.

3D Printable DIY Ion Thruster

Ion thrusters are proven space propulsion method and you can learn more about it on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thruster

With some spare parts and 3d printed structure you can make a working model:

Learn more about the project and get more detailed construction instructions:

http://www.elab-hackerspace.org/2015/09/18/ion-thruster/

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1037204

3D Printable EM drive or RF resonant cavity thruster

EM-drive is much more exotic method of electromagnetic space travel which was considered a hoax when first presented but turned out to be potentially revolutionary since some tests show it works thus enabling future spacecrafts to fly without fuel mass.

Learn more here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RF_resonant_cavity_thruster

Now you can also make a model and test it with few metal parts and a 3d printed support.

Project homepage:

https://hackaday.io/project/5596-em-drive

CollideOScope Multi Filament Printhead

Looks like a new multifilament printhead is in preparation and probably will come up soon on Kickstarter ...
Many motors, looks big ... we will see will it deliver ...

So many drives and motors ....

How To Design a Chainring Using Open Source Tools

Rich Olson has another great tutorial on how to design and make chainrings using open source software and low cost CNC.

Here is the link to original post with all the tools and scripts needed:

http://www.nothinglabs.com/chainringgen-making-a-chainring-with-open-source-software/

Rich makes a chainring for his bicycle but they have different uses in power transmission. Beside metal they can be also made on a small CNC from other materials like carbon fiber.

Finished carbon plate chainring for a custom bicycle: