In this WTFFF?! Episode, Tom and Tracy have found a great educational project for teachers and students. There is a lot of potential here for creating it into a larger lesson plan about time, geography, and of course 3D printing and 3D design. What they are talking about is creating a digital sundial, a little ironic considering sundials are analog by nature. Mojoptix, the designer, has great videos to walk students through the creation of this free file. Listen to the … [Read more...]
ThingMaker by Mattel, Is this a 3D Printing Game Changer?
In this WTFFF?! episode Tom and Tracy discuss some exciting news coming from the Toy Fair in New York. There will be a 3D print version of the ThingMaker, which is a Mattel toy from the ‘60s. Mattel has recognized the opportunity with modern desktop 3D printing. They are reviving the name of the ThingMaker and the concept of kids making their own toys, this time using 3d print technology. Is Mattel just jumping on the band wagon, or could this be a 3D printing game changer? Listen to the … [Read more...]
3D Print Education Finding the Hidden Volume Discounts
Diving deeper into the issues faced getting 3D Printers in schools, we have found that 3D Print education discounts are rarely publicly disclosed on 3D Printer manufacturer web sites. Because the large CAD software companies have programs that are easy to buy from and use straight over their web sites, as parents, we have gotten used to just being able to buy for our kids by emailing proper documentation like school ID’s. 3D Printing requires a little more digging to find the hidden discounts … [Read more...]
Teach Teachers How to Teach 3D Printing = Time + Resources
Getting kids to learn 3D Printing is not just about getting 3D Printers into the classroom, it’s about how to teach teachers. This is a realistic struggle going on in the education systems worldwide. It’s a completely new subject with new technology and the knowledge programs to teach teachers are still in formation. If you are a school district administrator running the Denver public schools or other large city district, you have to be asking about how to integrate 3D printing into your … [Read more...]
SoCal MakerCon Recap
This year’s SoCal MakerCon Convention attracted so many more attendees and exhibitors than last year that it had to be moved to a larger building a month before the show. In this WTFFF?! episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard discuss their experience exhibiting and giving a talk on Makers Making Profits. They also preview nine upcoming interviews conducted live from the show floor. Hear about the lessons and ideas they gathered from the event. --- Listen to the podcast here: SoCal … [Read more...]
3D Printed Robotics & Drones
3D Printed Robotics and Drones are all the rage these days. Companies developing them are racing to prove that their technology is better than all others. Our guests this week, Jesse Chang and Marc Gyongyosi, founders of two startups, MDAR and Intelligent Flying Machines (IFM), use 3D Printed Robotics and Drones to speed product development and keep costs down. Their advanced devices use motion contrast 3D scanning to sense the environment around them, both indoor and outdoor, and are real word … [Read more...]