3D printable sustainable technologies design competition to win $1000 November 30

Using open source 3D printers to promote sustainable development.

Queen’s University in Canada is sponsoring a competition for the best sustainable technologies printable on an open source 3D printer. What does that mean? I don’t really know. The competition has been left open for anything you can imagine that fits “sustainable technologies that fit human development needs.” The only firm requirement appears to be that it is printable on an open source 3D printer, such as a RepRap.

The contest closes February 1st 2012 and winners will be announced February 15th. First prize wins $1000 (Canadian dollars so around $968 USD right now), second prize wins $250, and 3 runners up receive a mention as runners up. To enter, upload your design to Thingiverse with the tag “QAS Contest.”

For more information, there is a detailed pdf on their site.

Via BoingBoing

Posted in 3D Printing, Contests + Competitions, Open Source, Taylor Gilbert by Taylor Gilbert | Comments are off for this post

Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing

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Giant Theremin in Melbourne November 30

What sound do tourists make? This installation sets a different tone to your leisurely boardwalk stroll.

This is one of the reasons why I love living in Melbourne, Australia.

People here, particularly the creative ones, can’t get enough of their “festivals”. With a new event or festival on every other week, our urban landscape is continually challenged and stimulated in ever-evolving celebrations of creativity.

Bursting onto the North Bank of the river is this Giant Theremin from audio-visual artist Robin Fox. For three months (strangely enough, as a part of Melbourne Music Week), passers-by will find themselves immersed in the musical wonder of proximally generated sci-fi sound effects.

For those not familiar, a Theremin is a device conceived in the 1920s that utilises the electromagnetic interference of the human body to create (and control, in varying degrees) sound. Think of the ghostly wail that accompanies cheesy mid-century horror films.

Robin Fox wanted to bring the immersive experience of the Theremin to the public on a grand scale. Due to the sheer size of this incarnation he has had to alter his device, for safety reasons, from the original instrument – however the process of interaction and musical outcome remain much the same.

Complex technology is such a big part of our daily lives, but I’m interested in creating experiences that use simple ideas and technology, to engage imagination.

Workshops and performances incorporating the installation are planned as a part of the festival. You can hear Robin’s thoughts on the project as well as some of the music that it makes in this audio clip.

ABC Melbourne via Engadget

Posted in Art, Functional Art + Objects, Guy Blashki by Guy Blashki | Comments are off for this post

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Cyber Monday material giveaway until 2012!! November 28

supplies will probably not last that long, get in on this now

We’re joining in the Cyber Monday marketing ploy to encourage online commerce. But instead of having just one sale that lasts just one day, we’ve decided to make some of our MATERIALS TOTALLY FREE for the next 33 days.

Starting right now 10 of our laser-cuttable materials are completely, totally, 100% FREE — until 2012!!

Or while supplies last. So if you want some free stuff, jump on this now y’all.

You don’t need a special code or a coupon. Just upload a design to you Personal Factory, select one of the materials listed below, and your material costs will be ZERO.

Let’s meet the freebies.

(more…)

Posted in Ponoko News by Ponoko Team | Comments are off for this post

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Cheaper, stronger, better + matte black rubber — The New Material Monthly November 28

November edition

It’s been a great month for new materials and material updates. And a lot of them aren’t just new, they’re new and *improved*. We’ve even been able to majorly reduce the price of one of our most popular wood materials.

Here’s the 411 on all the new materials added in the month of November.

Silicone Rubber in Matte Black

Back in October, we asked our most 1337 Ponoko-pros to name and vote on their top 2 most wanted materials. And we promised to add them to the material catalog by the end of the year.

So you can thank them for the addition of Silicone Rubber in Matte Black.

It’s pretty awesome looking. Get a sample of Silicone Rubber in Matte Black. And stay tuned in 2012 for more rubber colors.

(more…)

Posted in Materials Catalog by Ponoko Team | Comments are off for this post

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2011 Holiday Gift Guide: 10 lovely gifts for the ladies November 28

Independent designers, crafters, and creators all over the world are using Ponoko to make beautiful things. Here’s a collection of ten of my favorite pieces of jewelry and decor from some of our talented and wonderful makers.

P.S. Click the image for a bigger, better view of these gorgeous gifts.

(more…)

Posted in 3D Printing, Functional Art + Objects, Jewellery, Kristen Turner, Laser Cutting by Kristen Turner | Comments are off for this post

Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing, Laser Cutting

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NEW MATERIAL: silicone rubber in matte black November 27

Ponoko US materials catalog brings in the black

There’s a tough new material on the block, or rather the bed of the laser cutter, and it can take the heat.

Our silicone rubber in matte black can withstand extremes in temperature from –50° to +400° F and is super durable.

It looks really badass with a medium raster engraving, giving it a great black on black effect. And because of the powdery white residue which collects in the laser grooves, it also looks great with a heavy vector engraving, providing a nice black/white contrast.

The powder, by the way, can easily be wiped off.

The awesomeness of this material does come at a bit of a price with a P1 sheet costing a little over $15, but still less than our clear silicone rubber which starts at $19.88 a sheet.

But you can score a sample of black silicone rubber for just $2.50.

Posted in Materials Catalog by Ponoko Team | Comments are off for this post

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Printrbot, the people’s 3D printer November 27

The latest kitset 3D printer, aims to be the most affordable.

Brook Drumm’s Printrbot is an original 3D Printer using FDM like many other kitset 3D printers such as RepRaps and Makerbots. Printrbot aims to be the simplest and most affordable kitset 3d printer available to home users.

“This all-in-one 3D printer kit can be assembled and printing in a couple of hours.  Other kits will not only take you many more hours to build, they will also have hundreds more parts, and they will cost more.” Says Drumm (more…)

Posted in 3D Printing, David McGahan, Hardware, Maker Movement by David McGahan | Comments are off for this post

Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing

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Laser cut Blade Runner references November 26

The Laser Cutter Roundup — a weekly dose of laser-cut love: #56

Hey, Sam here. I’m back collecting this week’s posts from The Laser Cutter.

Above are laser cut steel sheep from sculptor Sean Crawford. Courtesy of SandyEm.

After the jump, androids (Gobots), trophies, more cubes,  and the living hinge… (more…)

Posted in Laser Cutting, Sam Tanis by Sam | Comments are off for this post

Make your own stuff using: Laser Cutting

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Arduino and NES controlled Etch A Sketch November 26

Etch A Sketch gets a DIY tech upgrade

It’s easy to forget sometimes that the fundamentals behind laser cutting and 3d printing have been with us for many years now. When André Cassagnes dreamed up what was to become the Etch A Sketch in the 1950s, this wonderfully simple plotting tool became a much loved favourite toy for generations.

As André himself did (the story goes, that he developed the original L’Ecran Magique while tinkering in his basement), modern-day hardware hacker Alpinedelta32 has put his own twist on the toy that lets you draw without ever touching the surface itself.

Combining a repurposed NES controller that he wired up to an Arduino board, this adaptation uses stepper motors to mechanically drive the Etch A Sketch dials.

Click through for a video walkthrough.   (more…)

Posted in Electronics + Robotics, Guy Blashki, Hardware, Toys + Games by Guy Blashki | Comments are off for this post

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Teaching your mother-in-law about 3d printing November 26

How do you go about explaining the digital manufacturing revolution?

Talking “shop” with a 3d printing enthusiast could go one of two ways. Either an excited exchange would ensue, with wild ideas thrown about as predictions of the Next Big Thing become ever more larger than life, or, eyes glaze over as onlookers get lost in specialized mumbo-jumbo that only the most dedicated of tech heads would be able to digest.

The following article from an Australian 3d printing evangelist does a fantastic job of de-mystifying the technology that we know and love, so that even the most uninitiated of listeners will soon be jumping online to download plans for a Makerbot or RepRap of their very own.

Click through to read the summary that followed a little show-and-tell that Andy gave at a recent family gathering…

via 3d Printing is the Future

Posted in 3D Printing, Guy Blashki, Technology by Guy Blashki | Comments are off for this post

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