3D printing, if used in its correct potential, can take creativity and innovation to great heights of achievement. An amazing example of innovation by Amogh Palasamudram, a 10-year-old child who used his toy, a Lego Mindstorm EV3 kit, and 3D printing pen to create a DIY 3D printer.
This simple and easy printer uses the concept of creative thinking to create a base and a surrounding tower using Lego bricks and K’nex parts. Lego is a popular toy that has interlocking construction bricks which can be used to make various building models. This structure built by this child contains several motors that regulate the movement of the 3D printing pen in all the 3 axis’s to create a 3D image and also holds the pen firmly while it moves.
A perfect example of the maker movement, this project has been completed using everyday items and simple parts. The pen moves along an x-axis and a y-axis, and Amogh used simple items like a rubber band and yarns to hold and control the movement of the 3D pen. A ring with a flat end works as a device to push the button to operate the 3D pen.
The Mindstorm EV3 robotics kit acts as a controller and is programmed to operate the Lego tower and the pen. It moves the 3D pen as it moves along the x and y-axis and also the z-axis for a 3D structure. Every unique 3D object requires a different set of commands which can be programmed and loaded in advance on the EV3 brick. These programs can be loaded before starting the printing process.
Source: Digitaltrends.com