Marblevator: a fully configurable marble run you can print yourself
This Thingiverse project from dedicated enthusiast gzumwalt has what it takes to give a 21st Century twist to an age-old favourite toy.
The Marblevator (marble elevator) is at the heart of it all, endlessly stepping little balls up until they meet with the whims of gravity. Additional track segments easily snap together and clever height-adjustable tressels combine to allow you to build with complete freedom, creating one of those mesmerising toys that you could happily lose yourself in for hours on end.
Click through to see more detail on the tressel mechanism, as well as a collection of video clips of those balls going round and round and round.
It was love — of wood — that lead designer Valerie Thai to laser cutting.
“I have always loved working with wood as a medium. In the past I did a lot of woodburning (pyrography) as a hobby and craft,” she says.
When Valerie started seeing laser cut wood designs on various blogs, she decided to research the method a little more. She then came across Ponoko in the Etsy forums. “It was really exciting to know that there was a way I could work directly with a user-friendly laser cutting company,” she tells me.
Control and communicate with your next project with your cell phone.
Arduino has just released their new GSM shield that allows your Arduino to make and receive calls and text messages. You can even control specific functions of your project by text. Light up a LED, turn on a motor, all via cell phone. This isn’t the first time someone has figured out how to Arduino to the cellular network, but now it’s easier than ever before. This is very nearly a plug-and-play device. (more…)
distance learning course from University of Northern Texas
Professor James Thurman of UNT will be teaching an online course on digital fabrication this summer that will guide students through the creation of laser-cut and 3D printed projects.
No prior experience with digital fabrication is required, but students should be comfortable with at least one vector design software (eg Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape) and one 3D design software (eg SketchUp).
The course is 13 weeks long, from Monday, May 13th to Thursday, August 8th. Enrollment is open to anyone but is limited to 40 people.
For more information and photos from projects from last year, check out the course Facebook page.
If you’re interested in registering for the course, email james[dot]thurman[at]unt[dot]edu
Posted in Events by Kristen Turner | Comments are off for this post
Inside 3D Printing is a business to business conference for the 3D printing industry. The event will take place April 22-23 in New York City and include two days of conference sessions, networking opportunities, and an exhibition hall of the latest 3D printing technologies.
Monday’s agenda includes four in-depth tutorial sessions from new design tools and desktop 3D printers to applications for aerospace, automotive, and medical use.
Tuesday’s conference sessions will cover how 3D printing is influencing a variety of fields and industries including engineering, design, medical, architecture, fashion, culinary, firearms, technology, and more.
As a media partner for the event, Ponoko is offering 15% off conference passes to our newsletter subscribers. You can sign up for our newsletter at the top right hand side of the blog.
Posted in 3D Printing, Events by Kristen Turner | Comments are off for this post
This litter box was made by Greg Leisure with the help of an Arduino. It is quite possibly the most elaborate cat litter box ever built. Even calling it a litter box seems disrespectful. It’s more like a litter house. Or a litter condo. It has it all, all the bells and whistles a cat or cat owner could want. Lights with motion sensors? Check. Both sound and smell dampeners? Check. Automatically-triggered fans? Naturally. Automatic Lysol dispensers? Of course. (more…)
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