3D Printer, Let's built it!

What is 3D Printing?

A 3D printer produces a solid object rather than printing onto a 2D sheet like a conventional printer. A 3D printer produces the object from plastic by taking a plastic filament, melting it and squirting it out - similar to a hot glue gun. The head is driven in the x and y directions to form a layer and at the end of each layer the print bed lowers to allow the next one to be laid down on top.

In order to produce your object you simply draw a 3D model using almost any CAD package and then save it as an stereo lithography file (STL file). This file is then converted to g-code to produce layers which will be printed.

There, so many people built 3D printer, and i found a good one 3D printer opensource Project called Rapman made by Bits From Bytes Ltd, UK.

BFB 3000 a fully assembled 3D printer for less than £2000

Award Winning RapMan

The RapMan has recently won the BETT Award for Best Digital Device at the 2010 BETT show - the world's largest Technology Education event. The judges commented "The RapMan allows for the teaching of many different design principles from initial concept to pre-production prototype, and is a fascinating example of design in its own right.”

Thinking to make one like this?

Now, it's possible for you to built a 3D Printer to produces the object from plastic by taking a plastic filament, melting it and squirting it out - similar to a hot glue gun.

The newest Version is 3.1, Download full Build manual here 

Source: This Article take from Rapman Website 

http://www.bitsfrombytes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

RoboBee - Robotic Insect could Pollinate Flowers

This RoboBees are collaborating investigators at Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and CentEy.

This project integrates approaches at the body, brain and colony level. Inspired by the biology of a bee and the insectÕs hive behavior, we aim to push advances in miniature robotics and the design of compact high-energy power sources; spur innovations in ultra-low-power computing and electronic " smart " sensors; and refine coordination algorithms to manage multiple, independent machines.

Anatomy of the Robobee  

- Brain: Simple circuits handle basic functions, including balance and hovering. A microprocessor runs the bee’s high-level functions, such as processing data from sensors.  

- Eyes: Ultraviolet sensors scan for natural UV patterns on flowers. Digital cameras track objects below the bee to determine how fast and far it’s flying. Light sensors follow the sun to tell if the bee is flying north or south.  

- Wings: An actuator flaps two lightweight carbon-fiber wings.  

- Antennae: The antennae beam data between bees and could act like whiskers to prevent the ’bot from bumping into things.  

- Feet: In the hive, three pronged feet lock the bee into a docking station to recharge its micro fuel cell and upload sensor data to a computer. The feet could also help grab pollen from flowers. Graham Murdoch

 

How RoboBees Pollinate an Orchard

STEP 1: Establish Home Base
A farmer sets up a mobile RoboBee “hive.” In the future, an autonomous robot could haul the hive from field to field.
STEP 2: Survey the Landscape
Scout RoboBees leave the hive first and use their ultraviolet sensors to locate the same UV patterns on flower petals that real bees look for. Cameras on the bee’s head record landmarks underneath the bee to give it a sense of where and how far it has traveled.
STEP 3: Make a Map
The scouts return to the hive to recharge and upload flower locations to a central computer, which maps the entire orchard as more scouts report in.
STEP 4: Get Pollinating
Worker bees, outfitted with fewer sensors and bigger batteries for longer trips, head directly for the flowers, picking up pollen from one and delivering it to others.