Link-O-Rama – 02-05-10: Robots, Animated Apples, and Moai

by Joseph Flaherty on February 5, 2010

Robot 3D Printing

There are a bunch of web-based 3D printing services, Shapeways and Quickparts being two of the best. Almost all have a “we’ll print anything” attitude, but the robotics blog “Plastic Pals” shares info about a Japanese 3D Printing service bureau that only makes robot parts. The website is sparse, but the idea is intriguing. Specialist fabrication services could tailor their offerings and create purpose built design tools for their community. Shapeways does this for a variety of home decor products, but the robotics niche, filled with early adopters, might be a better target.

Making Tech Popular

Along the lines of making robotics look cooler, I just stumbled upon awesome medals the team at Evil Mad Scientists Labs made to celebrate the winners of the 2009 RoboGames. These are awesome. In the maker world aesthetics and humor are often ignored, but team EMSL has a great knack for projects that are technically interesting, cool looking, and fun.

Photo Credit: Lenore M. Edman, www.evilmadscientist.com

Anti-Wired

Gizmodo calls “Tired” on the Wired cover story comparing bits to atoms. The author points out that there is nothing new about what these companies are doing save maybe a participatory, web-based layer at the front end.

I largely agree with the Gizmodo author and would add two things:

One of the major problems with the bits to atoms comparison is that there is no “view source” for atoms, at least yet. Factories and industrial equipment makers are loathe to share production info with individuals or small concerns.

There is too much focus on putting mini factories in garages and to little on how slightly lower barriers to entry can enable a class of “Pro-Am” product designers ala Lime Tree Cove.

Thanks to @CstCyr for the link.

Shapeways goes Hollywood

Or at least the Dutch equivalent. Shapeways 3D printing service was utilized by a creative agency to animate the intro to a popular kids shows. The process is similar to that used in the production of the film Coraline.

Glass Moai

The Open 3D Printing Forum at the University of Washington is doing really neat work with glass 3D printing. The process is similar to that of ZCorp, but instead of dipping the models in glue at the end the parts are fired in a kiln. The result is something between fine glass art and “Shrinky-Dinks” These Cubist Moai are just one of many neat projects you will find at Open3DP.