Makeshift Magazine is a new publication “about people, the things they make, and the context they make them in.” It’s one of 3 titles available from Analogue Digital, a group dedicated to supporting grassroots innovation especially in resource-constrained areas around the world.
I’m holding the latest issue of Makeshift Magazine in my hands — an issue investigating the changing nature of resistance as a result of street-level technology and grassroots movements.
The articles — ranging from homemade weapons in Libya to technological disobedience in Cuba to repurposed explosives in Laos — are well written and thoroughly illustrated with infographics and photography. My favorite set of photos show a reviving neighborhood in Haiti’s Port-au-prince.
Industry experts lay it all out in a series of infographics
It’s very possible that you already know 3D printing inside and out, and are just as excited as we are by the possibilities that this technology holds for our future.
But even for those in the know, it can be helpful sometimes to step back and take a snapshot of where things are at in this dynamic, exciting and rapidly changing environment.
Featured above is a graphic matrix from Objet Inc’s Tuan TranPham that sets out major players in the 3D printing world, including yours truly, Ponoko.
After the break, we have two more traditional infographics; one from Sculpteo that comprehensively tracks the evolution and growth of 3D printing; and a simpler intro from the folks at Hightable. They are both well worth a look. (more…)
Director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms speaking about digital making
Professor Neil Gershenfeld, director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Bits and Atoms and author of Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop–from Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication, is visiting Wellington, New Zealand.
He’s in town for the FAB8NZ conference next week at Massey University, and recently spoke with Kim Hill of Radio New Zealand, about personal fabrication and the Fablab movement.
It’s alive! The Briefcase Printer revisited and heading to Kickstarter
It’s hard to go far in the DIY gadget world without hearing about the exploits of modder extraordinaire, Ben Heck. Famous for squeezing almost every electronic device imaginable into a briefcase, his latest efforts revisit a project to build a fully operational Briefcase 3D printer.
An earlier attempt did have its successes, but Ben always knew he could go further with this particular project. And now he has.
The Briefcase Printer folds out from a neat 4.2 x 18 x 14 inch frame, and boasts a 200mm2 build platform. It’s able to run autonomously by reading files off an SD card, or for more control and a smoother user experience, the onboard Arduino 2580 Mega can be connected directly to a computer.
It’s all explained with Ben’s trademark enthusiastic delivery in a comprehensive video after the break. (more…)
See what happens when the tech-heads get their hands on some serious DIY hardware…
Over at Engadget, they are no strangers to the world of possibilities that 3D printing has been promising for some time now. Yet much of this knowledge has been academic; sourced from technical expertise and worldly know-how more than down ‘n dirty, roll your sleeves up, gritty personal experience.
That’s all changed thanks to the shiny (well, as shiny as lasercut ply can be) new delivery of a dual-extruder MakerBot Replicator.
Brian Heater has put together one of the most comprehensive first-look reviews of a 3D printer that we’ve ever seen. From the first unveiling through to numerous teething problems and then the triumphant successful print, we get a glimpse of where this technology is at. It is a refreshing take on things, with the understandably high expectations that an Engadget reviewer would have. But don’t let that deter you – there are some lighter moments.
“It makes a lot of really cool noises.”
Click through to read the full review, where there are also a number of images and a neat video overview for you to enjoy. Is it really “the most accessable 3D printer that you can currently buy”?
A mobile phone, a lunch box, and a flashlight become a digital projector.
India has a booming industry of local electronics shops who can repair just about any piece of hardware with readily available low-cost parts and salvaged components. Vinay Venkatraman has taken this system one step further by using their skills to make new hardware by hacking and combining existing devices.
This is the maker movement at its best; the new devices are being tested for use as substitutes for technology that would be out of reach for much of India. One example is a digital projector for a village school made out of a cheap cell phone, a lunchbox, and a flashlight. Even more remarkable is a device for simple medical diagnosis made from an alarm clock and a computer mouse.
Give your single speed bike a boost with some parametric goodness
If there was an award for parametric design that made riding your single speed or fixie bike usable on gradients greater than 5 degrees for people other than Olympic athletes, then Jason DeRose would surely take it out with his variable ratio mechanical gear design.
DeRose, a software developer used Python and employed mathematics and geometry to work out the position of the sprocket teeth to craft his design. As part of DeRose’s design process, he then extruded the linework into 3D in Blender. He has also released the project files as open source on launchpad to allow others to build upon it. (more…)
Statistics about the 3D community, beautifully presented
Awhile back we posted the results of the first-ever survey of the 3D printing community. Stephen Murphey took it upon himself to put together an animated video presenting those statistics in a more acessible way. It turned out so well that I think it’s worth sharing these results again. Watch the short video for a good overview of the current state of 3D printing.
This is the first 3D printer I’d consider worthy of Ian Fleming’s Q character in the world of 007. The FoldaRap is a derivative of the RepRap project, the first to be a truely portable 3D printer. It is designed to fit within a tough travelling case. (more…)
Make magazine is currently hosting a free online DIY makercamp on their Google+ page. MakerCamp is aimed at teenagers, although it looks like there will be interesting projects for people who haven’t grown out of being a kid as well. Each weekday a new project video is posted on youtube packed with demonstrations, instructions and a list of materials. There has already been how to make compressed air rockets. This week’s features include making animated GIF images, sculpting with modeling clays and more. Make promises the series will emcompass the broad spectrum of maker projects. (more…)
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