Arduino 3D Printed Fish Feeder V.2

January 27, 2015 -- HeliosLabs Version 2 of our auto-fish feeder is finally printed out and the files are now available online. It isn't perfect but it will be a good starting point for others. It is designed specifically to hang from a planter over a fish tank in an aquaponics system. In the future we might design a mounting system for a regular fish tank. If you want to use this now for a fish tank, you are free to modify and repost the files. In fact, we encourage it!

V.2 two being assembled with an Arduino Uno board visible in the electronics compartment just about the servo spacer which holds the servo in place when the cover is finally closed. The "arms" are attached to the back cover using a t-slot. Because this model was printed on a MakerBot using low resolution, the arms fit in very tight and required a little careful forcing. Once in place they will stay in place.

You can find the .stl files on MakerBot's Thingiverse here. For SketchUp users (this model was made in SketchUp) you can find an exploded view here in the 3D Warehouse, and a layout version you can use to export the files to .stl for printing. 

Personal Manufacturing and the Storefront of Tomorrow

October 12, 2014 via BIT Magazine Personal manufacturing technology like 3D printing at home has gone from an eccentric hobby, to a widespread curiosity, to finally fulfilling the promise of affordable desktop personal manufacturing. While some critics continue to hold out against the promise of affordable personal manufacturing and the paradigm shift it represents, others have pressed forward with their projects and vision to prove that it is not only here to stay, but is indeed more than ready to put the power of manufacturing directly into the hands of individuals.

Called mc squares, this modular whiteboard office system was launched on Kickstarter, featuring a whiteboard that could be broken down into smaller pieces, distributed to a room full of coworkers to collect their ideas, then reassembled on the wall to further the collaborative process. While the idea seems simple, prototyping, testing and determining the final configuration for potential investors and customers alike is a challenging task.

Producing something that looks and feels professional was always the exclusive realm of capital-intensive start-ups. You would have to almost be rich to begin with in order to start a new business or produce a new product. But the makers of mc squares leveraged 3D printing to give them an edge and make what may have been a fleeting idea into a tangible business model.

In a Make article titled "mc squares : Why We Dumped A Commercial Resin Printer For A Hobbyist FDM Printer On Our Prototypes," Anthony Franco guides readers through the journey he and his team embarked on in creating mc squares. They initially believed like many others do, that prototyping and manufacturing had to be done with high-end, professional and incredibly expensive tools. In the end, they found themselves using a hobbyist 3D printer, pushing through the prototyping phase and ending up with a successful end product.  

3D printing will not at the moment allow mc squares to go into mass production, but then again, 3D printers are more or less one-off or small run production platforms. They are perfect for personal manufacturing because they can produce exactly what you personally need on demand. The designs fabricated on 3D printers, however, can be used to create resin or even metal molds and then they can be mass produced, leaving the 3D printer free to create its next prototype, spare part or personal item.

3DPI's Free Guide to 3D Printing

FABrication via Progress Thailand :: For those that don't know what the big deal is about 3D printing, or may not really even know what exactly 3D printing is, 3DPI (3D Printing Industry.com) is offering a free-to-download 77-page PDF document, fully illustrated and complete with a glossary to work you through both the basics and the greater details of this emerging disruptive and powerful technology.

It covers in its 8 chapters an introduction and history of 3D printing, an overview of the technology, the different printing processes used, the different printing materials, the global effect of 3D printing as well as both the benefits and values it provides. In the final chapter it gives examples of various 3D printing applications including for art, design, architecture, fashion, automobiles, aerospace, medicine, and even food. Check out their website's introduction here, which includes a link to download the PDF.

DIY Auto Industry

FABrication via Progress Thailand :: Not much about the business model of car manufacturing has changed since Henry Ford began using the assembly line to crank out Model-T's a century ago. The process is an elaborate, capital intensive endeavor that requires constant market expansion to sustain itself, and barring that, the merger of auto companies into bigger and ever more ungainly monopolies. The result is a very impersonal product with limited options, designed, produced, and distributed from a centralized network of manufacturers and suppliers. It is a process driven by profits rather than advancing the realm of transportation, unless on the rare occasion profitability and advancement coincide.

While there is much criticism that could fill the next several paragraphs regarding the auto industry, we could just as easily say that without this long and difficult learning process and the innovations it has produced, we would not be here today ready to take the next step forward.

The Next Step 

Customization has always been an integral part of car culture. Hot rods and racing have more than anything besides the auto industry itself, laid the foundation for the DIY auto revolution. As after-market parts become more popular and more business big and small set up to supply them to consumers, the natural evolution of more efficient and cheaper manufacturing processes are developed. Automated and computer controlled machining and now 3D printing has also spread across the custom car (and motorcycle) community.The ability to use a single machine to create an infinite number of variations to wheel hubs for example, on a water jet cutter, antiquates assembly lines producing a limited number of variations for consumers to choose from.

Soon, as the tools for computer aided manufacturing become simple and cheap enough for anyone to use, producers and consumers will merge as one, and we have some good examples of people working toward this end to take stock of here and now.

Read the rest at Progress Thailand... 

3D Printing Brings the Museum to You

3D wooly mammoth now accessible online via Smithsonian's 3D collection.

News/FABrication:: The Smithsonian Museums represent an immense collection of historical treasures drawn both from nature and from human civilization. From dinosaurs and wooly mammoths, to the first airplane and artifacts from extinct civilizations, those lucky enough to visit these museums will see it all. But for those who are unable to go see these collections, there is now a way to bring the collections to them.

The Smithsonian Institute is currently scanning and posting online 3D representations of objects in their collection. Not only that, these models are designed specifically to be examined from all angles online as well as printed out by 3D printers anywhere in the world. 

Lincoln's life mask as seen in the online 3D model browser.

The files are large, the wooly mammoth model I downloaded was 90+ MB. Others are 100 MB or larger. But the level of detail is astonishing. Zooming in on the Wright Flyer shows intricate details on the engine, and the life mask of Abraham Lincoln is crystal clear.

Your computer and 3D printer are transformed into portals accessing the Smithsonian's collections, allowing you to reach through the Internet, and literally pull out items you would like to hold in your hand. This might be why the Smithsonian X 3D website claims it is, "the end of "do not touch."

The process of browsing the Smithsonian 3D collection not only provides a lesson in history, but also one in science and technology, as does the process of printing out objects from the collection. 

The files are downloaded in .STL format, popular for 3D printers. Technically, these can be opened in SketchUp, but the size of the files and the level of detail make this very impractical. For example, a fossilized lower jaw of a Panamanian dolphin is included in the collection and was one of the smallest downloadable .STL files available. It took an entire night to import it into SketchUp, and once there, could not be uploaded to the 3D Warehouse because at 48 MB, it exceeded the 10 MB limit for Warehouse models.

Lower jaw of a fossilized dolphin in the Smithsonian X 3D collection imported as an .STL file into SketchUp 8.

Helios Labs plans on using one of these models to prove just how accessible the Smithsonian collection is, by printing one out on the other side of the world for use in class with students who would otherwise not have the opportunity because of proximity to visit the actual museum.

Smithsonian's website features the process of printing out in 3D Abraham Lincoln's life mask from scans taken of the real item in the Smithsonian collection. Educators around the world now have the ability to print out replicas of museum exhibits for use in class, rendering proximity moot in giving students hands on lessons.

There are already shops selling 3D printers and providing 3D printing services in Thailand, so after we pick which model we would like to print out, we will begin the process of finding a shop to fabricate it. The Smithsonian website features an article regarding the printing out of Lincoln's life mask and a sample lesson plan to be used with it in the classroom.

RepRap Mod in Bangkok's Fortune Town IT Mall

FABrication :: In addition to Paradise Park's i3Dbot shop there's now a RepRap modification on display and printing at Bangkok's Fortune Town IT mall. A great deal of the printer has visibly printed parts incorporated into its construction, including the case for the LCD status readout located at the bottom left of base.

It's called the MendelMax 1.5, most likely after RepRap's Mendel machine, and runs software that handles .stl files. 

Unlike the i3Dbot shop, there's only a single model on display and a flyer on the table next to it with a phone number and some specs in Thai.

The machine was in operation printing a bowl-like sculpture and there was a neon green Yoda bust mounted on the upper right of the machine next to the plastic reel.

Spotting two 3D printing machines makes one wonder where else they may be up and running and on sale. It might be worth looking in Pantip or perhaps Chinatown for others -- Chinatown in particular has had CNC mills and lathes for sale for some time and most of the parts one might need to make a 3D printer from scratch including motion control components, stepper motors, and supplies to etch PCBs.

Over the next few weeks we'll try to find them and post them up as well as get more information on the two we've already found.

See the specs sheet (in Thai) after the break below...

Accelerator on a Chip & Desktop Particle Accelerators

Star Trek replicator. Got SketchUp? Get the model here!

FABrication :: Now seems like as good a time as any to air one of the topics that comes up in causal conversation around the lab -- that is, the technological road maps necessary to achieve our favorite pieces of sci-fi hardware. One of my favorites has to be the Star Trek replicator. How exactly do we get from where we are now to energy-to-matter conversions in machines that spit out anything our imaginations can conjure?

One flow goes something like this:

computer-controlled manufacturing > 3D printing > accelerator driven transmutation technology (ADTT) > replicators

Of course, somewhere between existing ADTT systems and replicators we'd need major breakthroughs in power production and manipulating atomic and subatomic particles in the midst of energy-to-matter conversion to actually use this process for manufacturing or "replicating" anything. Additionally, current particle accelerators constitute expensive and very massive complexes scientists live and work amongst to conduct experimental research rather than practical tools we can use everyday in our homes or places of work.

But what if a particle accelerator could sit on your desktop? While still far off, we're possibly one step closer, as SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory researchers announced their "accelerator on a chip." According to their press release (found here) they claim... 

In an advance that could dramatically shrink particle accelerators for science and medicine, researchers used a laser to accelerate electrons at a rate 10 times higher than conventional technology in a nanostructured glass chip smaller than a grain of rice.

They also claim... 

At its full potential, the new “accelerator on a chip” could match the accelerating power of SLAC’s 2-mile-long linear accelerator in just 100 feet, and deliver a million more electron pulses per second.

SLAC's current 2 mile long accelerator.

A 100 foot accelerator is still not going to fit on your desktop. The cost of building and operating one would still be prohibitively expensive, and while SLAC says its new breed of accelerator technology may be used for practical applications including, "X-ray devices for security scanning, medical therapy and imaging, and research in biology and materials science," it probably won't be replicating a cup of Earl Grey for you anytime soon.

Is this a step toward a replicator that will make me a cup of Earl Grey in the future? Do you have a more realistic roadmap you'd like to share? Contact us.

For those out there not interested or even aware of particle accelerators and their role in experimental physics, the proposed applications of SLAC's new "accelerator on a chip" might help raise public interest and support for further research and development of smaller, cheaper, and more accessible systems.

For the rest of us, no matter how far off a replicator might be, an "accelerator on a chip" is an alluring headline backed with interesting, groundbreaking research. Follow SLAC on Twitter @SLAClab and visit their website here.

3D Printing Lands in Bangkok, Thailand

The i3Dbot shop in Paradise Park's IT Zone, Bangkok Thailand.

FABrication :: Thailand has a growing hacker community, and a lot of the hallmark technologies and concepts making their way around hacker communities worldwide are popping up across Bangkok. For example, CITEC hackerspace is hosting an introductory Arduino course today (Saturday, September 7, 2013), while electronic shops in nearby Chinatown have been offering different versions of the popular prototyping board for some time now. 

What's new and exciting is my first sighting of a working 3D printer on the 2nd floor of Bangkok's Paradise Park, next to the more well known Seacon Square shopping center. It was busily printing away within the i3Dbot shop, in Paradise Park's IT zone.

The i3Dbot's specs can be found on the shop's website here. If you visit the shop, you'll also get a chance to see many examples of the printer's work. They range from toys and architectural models, to hardware and spare parts. Interestingly enough, some functional aspects of the shop itself, such as a lock to secure the laptop running the software for the printer, are also 3D printed.

Some of the prints are a little rough around the edges, but I was surprised by the strength of the material and the utility of the prints. This would be perfect for prototyping, making spare parts, and if the print is planned just right, it would be good for certain toys and gifts. If you're in Thailand and looking to get into 3D printing, the i3Dbot looks like it would be up for the task.

It will be interesting to see what happens next -- to see if Thai hackerspaces start folding 3D printing into their activities (if they haven't already) and if other 3D printing makers and distributors begin popping up in Bangkok or elsewhere across Thailand. I already covered 3D printing companies in Singapore, now it looks like I can save myself a trip when I finally decide to get serious about getting a 3D printer.

See more images by clicking on "read more" below. 

Robohand and The Power of 3D Printing

Robohand downloaded into SU8 using an STL plugin.

NEWSannouncements :: Out of all the things we can crowdsource, solutions for health and well-being seem like they should be at the top of the list. The problem is, most of us don't think about things like losing fingers, cancer, or other problems until we, or someone we love is effected and by then, it is too late to do anything but hold on tight and make due with what is already available.

It is the year 2013, and it would seem like losing a hand should be a good opportunity to either have a new one grown for you, or a superior robotic limb fitted in its place. But unfortunately, neither of these things have come to pass yet. Why?

While it has a huge impact on the quality of life of an amputee, or someone born without functioning limbs, there doesn't seem to be a huge market, and therefore the incentive to develop these solutions at a faster pace. People who desire to tackle these problems out of desperation or altruism usually don't have the resources or tools to get very far.

But all of that looks like it is about to change -- thanks to the personal fabrication revolution.

Personal fabrication in many ways is perfect for solving personal problems or addressing preferences that have been neglected by society for whatever reason. By putting a cheap, easy-to-use factory of sorts on your desktop and connecting you with the designs of anyone and everyone on the planet also working on your particular area of interest, a collective research and development/collaboration can take place, greatly accelerating progress and producing solutions quickly.

One story that is breaking involves an American, Ivan Owen, and a South African, Richard Van As, who are working together on developing replacement fingers for amputees and people born without them. Much of their fabrication appears to still be done using traditional shop tools, but their latest post involves a 3D printed hand (Robohand) made for a young child, giving him the ability to grasp objects with his otherwise fingerless hand. 

3D Printing in Space...

SPACEnew - FABrication :: SpaceRef.com just posted an article titled Building a Lunar Base with 3D Printing where it reports Foster + Partners are teaming up with ESA to see how feasible 3D printing is with lunar soil.

From ESA's article on 3D printing structures on the Moon.

The article brings up many good points, including how the design of a prospective lunar base will be dictated by the 3D printing technology used to make it and that the process of 3D printing structures on the Moon using material found there, instead of transported from Earth, would reduce "logistics from Earth."

Absolutely it would -- if structures were created from lunar material, it would turn a visit to the Moon from a camping trip, or even an expedition, into something much more permanent and sustainable. The article also mentions how Italian space research firm Alta SpA is working with Pisa-based engineering university Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna on using 3D printing for structures on the Moon.

A cross-section of a conceptual 3D printed lunar structure.

DIY Atmospheric Water Generator

FABrication :: This is definitely a project on the to-do list - a DIY atmospheric water generator. You can't really drink from the tap here and in the long run, bottled water is more expensive and less healthy than some of the other options out there. Atmospheric water generators - for those who don't know - are dehumidifiers that produce drinkable water from moisture in the air. There are companies out there that sell all-in-one solutions, but they can be expensive because the concept is still relatively new. Also, I don't like the features on many of these - like plastic holding containers, proprietary filtration systems, and no specs given on what coil material is used for the condensers.