This past week we got to learn about the facilities on campus and around the community that provide excellent resources in 3D printing. The director of Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, Jeff Ginger came into talk about the Maker Movement and how it’s a center player in the movement. The Fab Lab runs classes, collaborate grants, and supports research. Classes are available for everyone. One of the most memorable parts of the presentation was when Jeff talked about how professional artists integrate both business skills as wells as artistic skills to create their own products and start their own business. One person, he talked about was Judy Lee, an artist that used the Fab Lab resources to help produce her book and other book-related products (mini keychains, sculptures, etc.) through Adobe Illustrator and 3D printing. Her story really clicked with me since I hold very similar dreams and aspirations of incorporating my business skills in accounting and information systems to start my own business that involves both artistic, as well as technological aspects. Hearing about her success within the community, as well as the number of donors that support her work is very encouraging.

The article “How to Make Almost Anything” was both insightful and challenged me to think of innovative ways to make useful everyday objects. We live in a time were indulging and consuming ready-made products are the status quo. I realized I also fall victim to such a materialistic mindset of buying whatever I needed. If I needed a phone holder, I would buy one on Amazon. If I needed a cup to drink a beverage from, I would buy one from a local grocery store. Before this class, I never thought that I could make such a wide range products with such a machine. This article made rethink of a number of resources I consume and money that I waste from buying easily 3D makeable objects. Additionally, “blueprints” of objects are easily accessible and free through open source websites like Thingiverse and Tinkercad. I was able to apply this by printing a keychain (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:596527).

Chip Bag Clip http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1212828

I find that this object is very applicable in my life. I love snacking, but sometimes when I have a big bag of chips, I have trouble keeping my snack fresh because I have no way of closing the bag. This object helps will help keep my snacks fresh. I would, however, try to redesign it so that it encloses a larger surface area.

Phone Holder http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1041363

I FaceTime my mom every day to keep her company. This object enables me to keep it in a single position while doing other work. This phone holder does not seem to be adjustable, since everybody is of different lengths, having an adjustable and rotatable base would be advantageous. I would also a cutout at the bottom so that I could charge my phone while it’s on the holder,

Selfie Stick https://www.myminifactory.com/object/selfie-stick-11330

I love taking pictures since I believe that documenting my day to day life is important. What better way to do so but to have a portable and adjustable selfie stick with you at all times. I would make it so that the selfie stick base would be rotatable. Furthermore, I would also make sure that it could extend longer.

USB Cord Rack http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:829745

I would definitely need this. I have so many cords around my room that it’s not only dangerous for me if I stepped on one, but it could also potentially damage the cord. This rack helps separate one cord from another and keeps the cords organized.

Class last week was very informative for me. I had a brief knowledge of 3D printing from working in the lab the previous semester. 3D printing is making its way into almost everything from medicine to automobiles. I had no idea that there was a “Maker Movement” going on. After reading Dale Dougherty’s article, it brought what is really going on in the world to my attention. The Maker Movement encompasses not only what people are 3D printing in new and different ways, but also people are creating environments to spur creativity in people of all ages.

One thing from Dale’s article that I think will have a major impact will be changing the way in which children learn. Education now has standardized tests and strict guidelines. There is no room for creativity. By implementing creative opportunities into the school system, it will allow children to be as creative as they want to be without being graded or trying to fit into a standard that is the accepted correct answer. Maker spaces will involve more project and idea based learning that will help children develop to reach their full potential.

I was unaware of the maker space that was on campus, the Fablab. Jeff Ginger presented what the Fablab did in the community. It is a perfect example of a Maker Space. It is like a playground for creativity, it has all the tools you would need to make and come up with new ideas.

I think people see how creativity is lacking. There is a need to make and come up with new and different ideas. More makers will make a difference in their individual lives and in their community. I think all ages being involved in the Maker Movement is important because everyone can be creative no matter how old they are. Yes, children are the future, but I do not think that the older generations are a lost cause. Everyone is a maker.

The four everyday objects from Thingiverse are a fork, a clothes hanger, a mug, and glasses. Typically every meal I eat i use a fork. The fork I found on Thingiverse looked good except it did not have a curve in it to make it easier for me to use while eating. The next item is a clothes hanger. I would add a curve into the hanger where the clothing usually sits and add a rigid design to create texture so the clothes are less likely to fall off. Another item is a mug. When I use a mug I am usually having tea. I would add an extra hook on the outside of the mug so I could wrap my tea bag string around it. If i forget to hold the tea bag while I pour the hot water then the string will not into my mug. The final item I have chosen is a pair of glasses. These glasses need to be portioned better to fit the natural curve of a human’s head because they look as stiff as the 3D glasses you get at the movie theater. These are my modifications I would make to these everyday things found on Thingiverse!

A place where you can make your ideas come true, this is what MakerLab is all about. As I came in for the first day of my class, I was thrilled to see those printers in action making designs into real products one line at a time. This was the place where you don’t have to let your train of thoughts to stop.

As written in the “The Maker Mindset” by Dale Dougherty, People have a mindset that one can get success only by formal education. This hence has left no time or context for play. 3-D printing has been here for a long time now, almost for about 30 years. I could not imagine that a technology like this has been here for so long and no one even tried to exploit it. On the first day of class we had a skype call with John Hornick where he told us about the potential possibilities of 3-D printing. 3-D printing is coming forward in the field of biology as well. Can you imagine a human heart that is 3-D printed? Yes, that is true. Mr. Hornick mentioned about how doctors are using CT scans to print organs of a human body to make operations more successful. Biology is not the only place where 3D printing has made it way. Have you ever heard of a restaurant that 3D prints your food? Oh yes! There is a place called Food Ink that actually 3D prints your food. The most futuristic gourmet experience ever. Now you know that there is no limit to what you can do with 3D printing. There are so many options for the kind of material that you can print with.

The second day of class we were all divided into several groups of three, which will be our team for the next 4 months. We also printed our first products this day. From learning to how to use the software and actually printing something that we found was cool from a website called ‘Thingiverse”. There are many such websites where Makers share their ideas and other Makers can suggest for improvements or even print that same file. It is a like a small digital community of Makers.

This course is all about exploring. There are no boundaries for making your dreams come true. It’s for the Makers who are enthusiastic to play with the technology and learn about it. I can’t wait to get a head start on my project and discover new technologies.

In our first week of class, we had learned about the applications of 3D printing and real-life examples of how it was used. This included establishing businesses and services for extremely specific uses of 3D printing like creating custom handgrips for wheelchair racers, to establishing a MakerLab in a library to teach young children the creative process and expose them to the technology. This week, we explored the process of the 3D printing from file to print. We were explored various file-sharing websites such thingiverse and myminifactory, as well as the similarities and differences of each. We created our first prints and most turned out successful. For mine, I chose a whistle that came in several pieces that could be assembled post-printing.

3D Printing has been around since the 70s, however, it really did not “take off” with the general public until around 2010. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see 3D printers in homes and schools, and many companies are beginning to produce them to compete in this exploding market. However, most of these printers are designed for personal use. While it is true the 3D printing can, has, and will revolutionize the world; there are some facets to it. The timeline of creating a physical object from a 3D printer varies on many things from the actual design, the printer, whether the file was created from scratch or found, etc. It’s a common misconception that 3D printing is quick, which is why it good for manufacturing. This, however, is not the case(most of the time). Even the simplest of prints can take relatively large amounts of time. The whistle linked above fits in the palm of one’s hand but took approximately an hour and a half to print. The only real way to be efficient with 3D printing in manufacturing is to have multiple prints running on multiple printers at once, and even then the process is relatively slow. This is why most businesses that run strictly on the basis of using 3D printers for creating parts are relatively small and really only appeal to specific consumers. There are large companies such as Stratasys that use and produce 3D printers for prototyping and design in the industry, but those printers are extremely high grade for industrial use. 3D printing has been booming since its arrival to the general public, with some going as far to say that 3D printers will become a household staple like microwaves and televisions in the near future. While I believe this to be true, it most likely won’t happen for quite some time. The 3D printing revolution is like the process itself: it’s slow, takes some time to perfect, and may be delayed unexpectedly, but will eventually get done in the end.

As for what can be created by 3D printers, objects such as tools and replacement parts that are printed out of necessity or desire for improvement are common choices. An example would be paper scissors http://www.thingiverse.com/make:171977 I had printed this because I could not find the actual pair. While they are fun to use and printed nicely, they are flawed because they only cut paper and will eventually wear out overtime without any way to properly sharpen them. I approved upon the design by adding a custom nut and bolt that was not included in the original. Another useful design for projects was this epoxy mixing bowl http://www.thingiverse.com/make:172339 It was easy to print and works great, the only thing I would really improve is widening the base slightly. Another design that worked excellently with little need for improvement is this toothbrush holder http://www.thingiverse.com/make:172705 Once again, an easy print that served its purpose. The only thing I would change is perhaps make it symmetrical as that curved side on the left was a bit difficult to print. The last design is a photographic sweep stand that I used as the background for all the pictures of the prints that I had created subsequent to it http://www.thingiverse.com/make:172705 It worked ok and was easy to assemble, but the paper was held rather loosely, and some sheets that I attempted to use could not be properly held in place even though the arms were adjustable, but that may be due to mishap in the printing process. All in all, these are 4 designs that I have printed for personal use and around the living space, while they may not necessarily be perfect, they get the job done and show off the capabilities of a household printer.

Carter Carroll

BADM395- Week 2 Reflection

Reflection on Class

Certainly, being introduced to the software that we will be using such to create with 3d printing was a big 1^st step in learning how we can make our projects come to life. A major aspect of the software’s that we were introduced to such as thingverse.com, were about the community of Makers and how we can use this group to our advantage throughout this course and into our professional lives. The maker mindset of wanting to make stuff on our own as humans, and to make for play is clear in the very nature of many of the websites we were introduced to. Thingverse for example has an entire community that posts their designs, which then can be commented on, shared, and even downloaded for personal use. Getting to explore now just how 3d printing software works, but how what the community of Makers can do to our own design was intriguing to see how I and my team can build off of others ideas. On all the different websites we went through, each had a common theme of a passion for ideation amongst this expanding community of Makers. As I continue to experiment with 3d printing, I know that online tools such as Thing verse will be an Asset in inspiring me of the capabilities of 3d printing and helping me build something innovative off of what has already been done.

4 everyday (3D printed) objects that intrigued me

1. Volleyball Holder = http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:981123

This Volleyball Holder is a particularly interesting idea especially when trying to save space like with sporting equipment. I work in a recreation facility where we are always trying to figure out how to organize large amounts of sporting balls, and having this attached to a wall would be an effective solution. One thing I may change is making sure that the material used in the printing is sturdy enough to hold a heavy ball. Also I may experiment with different adjusted options for different sized sporting balls.

2. Heart Rate Clamp: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2052975 I can foresee small medical devices such as Heart Rate Clamps being needed across many areas. Being able to print useful devices such as this in the medical field would be extremely helpful. One thing I would adjust is the cheap spring in the back that helps the device clamp down. For medical purposes one should use a material stronger so that the device does not slip off a patient accidently.

3. Go Pro Session Mount http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2087056

Although this may not look like much at first glance, this Go Pro camera holder is extremely helpful for those that are trying to film 1^st person Go pro film. I am particularly interested in filming with Go Pros, and a mount that can be printed would be extremely beneficial, especially if you could customize how it can be mounted with 3d printing. You could customize the object you mount it to, the size, and even camera angle to adapt to anything you are filming.

4. Golf Ball Holder: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2083058

Similar to the concept of the volleyball having a cheaply manufactured and custom way to secure and hold your golf balls would me beneficial to avid golfers. The one thing I would improve with this design is having more of an opening on the sides so you can easily grab the ball out after putting it away.

For the second week of class we had Jeff Ginger, head of the CU Fab Lab, come into to give a talk. Jeff’s talk was impassioned, interesting, and a flood of useful information. The CU Fab Lab was described as a workshop to make anything you can imagine. All kinds of tools are available from 3D printers to glass engravers; the Fab Lab will certainly be a useful resource in the future for our project. Especially, the electronics area where they have a variety of hardware and software to play around with.

The CU Fab Lab is also part of a larger international network of making stations across the globe. Mentioned in our reading, these Fab Labs often take a bottom-up approach by being placed in universities or lower income areas to bring innovation to the region. The hope is that most of these Fab Labs will tap into the natural human instinct to make and thus invoke a movement of innovative creating by the local population.

One idea that was sparked by Jeff’s talk and the readings was the idea of creating a low-cost drone that could hold a camera. The readings taught us that the maker movement can increase accessibility in certain industries like our last talker’s case with wheelchair racing and making cheaper more efficient gloves. Perhaps, we could use Arduinos for a drone controller and build the frame with 3D printed parts to create a low-cost camera drone for budding kid filmmakers.

After Jeff’s talk we proceeded to make our first product. Mine was a toothbrush holder, a simple but useful first 3D print in our class. We learned how to ‘slice’ objects in Cura, export them to SD cards, and print them out on printers. Additionally, we were taught about the various online resources we have available to us. Various sites like Thingiverse exist as giant product databases full of free 3D print models for use. The making community for 3D printing is certainly huge but also very open at the same time.

3D Printed Toothbrush holder!

Below are four examples of great everyday products one could find on Thingiverse:

Cable-Holder: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:70549

The cable-holder would be extremely useful for my at home cable management. Definitely creating less clutter in my room. The one thing I would personally change is the ability to hold more than one cable on one piece or perhaps allowing the ‘linking’ of each cable holder by changing the shape to something more box like with rigid edges.

Earbud Holder: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:36321

The earbud holder would be really great for my backpack as I often find my cables getting entangled in each other. The one thing I would change is probably removing the case and allowing the end to hang out freely. I could see this getting really frustrating to put in when in a hurry.

Toothpaste Tube Squeezer: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1147252

A great invention for the bathroom! No longer will I have any leftover toothpaste at the bottom. Only thing I might change is adding a handle or such to help with pushing the tooth paste out.

Headphone Stand: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2050885

Just generally great for organizing my desk at home. Only thing I would add is maybe a place for wire management as not all headphones are wireless blue tooth. So a cylinder sticking up could do that or something similar.

With the Digital Making Seminar starting this week, I thought right now would be an excellent time to share my initial thoughts.

The first two classes have been unbelievable being able to cultivate a deeper understanding of digital making as a whole. From learning about the 200+ fab lab network that spans globally to the different digital making communities that exist in the Champaign-Urbana area (i.e. Unit One Allen Hall, Innovation LLC, Makerspace Urbana, NCSA, Rapid Prototyping Lab, etc), it just becomes remarkable to see the immense number of individuals with such creative, innovative, and unique ideas and thinking patterns that contrast to traditional classroom idea formation. Additionally, learning the foundation and processes in successful digital making idea formation complemented by technical skills in the program Cura, I genuinely begin to see as Dale Dougherty explains in “The Maker Mindset” as the “biggest opportunity for the Maker Movement is to transform education.”

As I concluded my second week here in the Illinois Maker Lab inside BIF, I can whole-heartedly agree with Dale Dougherty that many traditional “rigid” education systems today is truly limiting the development of creativity and innovation skills that are necessary not only in the Maker movements and world but in the business world as well. Just spending a short 6 hours (through 2 classes) inside the Maker Lab, I can feel the fervent flow of creative and innovative ideas as the Ultimaker 2, 2+, 3, and Go unrelenting print out fascinating ideas, prototypes, and products of students within and outside of my Business Administration 395 class. This atmosphere in the Digital Making Lab fosters creative idea generation like no other in the Business Instructional Facility and I experienced it first hand as well.

Being from the east coast, I wanted my first print to resemble something close to my heart from home. As I began to scroll through Thingsiverse, numerous ideas immediately started flowing through my head on how I could express myself with this first print. I saw prints ranging from the skyline of NYC to the Brooklyn Nets to the Jersey Shore to key chains of the state of NJ to many more. I ultimately decided on the Freedom Tower (which is the tallest building in New York City which in my opinion is the greatest city in the world). And here are my results:

This was an incredible experience being able to effectively express myself through a print while also getting in touch with my creative side. And with that being said here are my 4 things from Thingsiverse:

1. The Freedom Tower, New York City holds a special place in my heart. It is where I grew up, my favorite city, and where I will be working after graduation. My only improvement here is the rod at the roof of the Freedom Tower printed incorrectly wonder if there is a way to fix that.
2. Wildwood Crest Logo, People might make fun of my for it BUT Wildwood Crest is the very southern portion of the Jersey Shore AND it represents some of my greatest life memories as I spent numerous summer weekend and week trips there from childhood to the end of high school! If only they had prints that resembled the actual beach.
3. Skiing Cookie Cutter, because I’ve skied since I was 5 and who doesn’t love cookies??!
4. Coffee Mug, because I love coffee and I don’t think my college career would have been the same without it.

The sound of whirring machines filled the air as I stepped into the Digital Making studio. I was mesmerized by the hot lines of plastic filament stacking on one another. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen magic like this. 2 years ago, I attended a 3D printing workshop in this very studio. I created a cute little Illinois keychain to cherish. Since then, the buzz about 3D printing grew with the Maker Movement. One of my friends even joined an organization called MakerGirl, which helped young girls develop an interest in STEM fields. I thought to myself, if young girls can create amazing things, then so can I. Hoping to create something remarkable, I sent in my application to class

On the first day of class, we were introduced to all the applications of 3D printing and we learned that we will be able to create innovative items for our final project. In class, we reviewed a handful of the wonderful past projects and even met an amazing individual, Arielle Rausin, who took her project and turned it into a business. Later, we met the author of a book called 3D Printing Will Rock The World, John Hornick. Hornick spoke about the industry disruptive power of 3D printing. 3D Printing has endless possibilities and how it can create innovative solutions at a cheaper cost. My head was bursting with ideas. My mind was preparing itself for the “maker mindset”. I further prepared it through the weekly readings for week 2.

In week 2, our guest speaker was Jeff Ginger, the director of the CUC Fablab. Jeff Ginger spoke to us about all the resources available to us on campus. It was a whole new world. How could all these glorious resources be kept a secret? Who knew that there were gems in the middle of the cornfields? My heart was racing as I was so excited to get my hands on these tools. In my mind I paired these resources to possible applications for our final project. However, we had to learn the basics of 3D printing before we can get our hands on the more complex machines. These basics will be foundation of my learning and project, with the complex machines used as bells and whistles. We learned all the possible making websites we can use to get ideas to base our project on such as Thingiverse and Instructables. Later on, I relearned how to use Cura to prepare objects for printing. Then, I found myself falling in love again, mesmerized at the plastic filaments intricately creating a mere keychain. Although it starts with a keychain, who knows what my imagination can come up with in the next few weeks.

All these speaker from the last few weeks have been so inspirational to me. The content they presented seemed like puzzle pieces which I can put together over time to put an idea to fruition. It’s just a matter of which pieces will fit.

Here are a few things that have shown me the versatility of 3D Printing and helped inspire some project ideas:

3D Printed Concrete Castle:

3D Printing To Help Burn Victims:
http://mashable.com/2017/01/18/3d-skin-printer-for-severe-burns/#Ww2Cm3KUPPq7