During the crisis, many are anxious to “do something” to help, and 3D print experts are stepping up to do their part.  Many groups and companies have organized COVID-19 projects to help hospitals, redirect their resources to manufacturing essential goods, and other ventures. But on an individual basis, it can be more challenging to figure out something effective to do.  The scene for an individual is rather chaotic. There are now dozens of sites, lists, Slack channels, Facebook groups, forums and others purporting to “coordinate” activities, but the broad view of this work is quite confusing and not properly coordinated. I think a good approach is to simply do what…

Nine months ago I got the news and I knew everything was going to change.  And now here we are, exhausted and bleary-eyed, holding the wonder we have created.  As I look down on our little miracle I hold softly cradled in my arms I think ahead. Yes, I made a part. I want the best for my little part, I want to give it the brightest future and the best opportunities.  The first step to giving my part a leg up is to give it a great name. First Name – The Table Rule The first name of the part should describe it in the most direct way.  For…

It’s been used to recreate beloved animated picture structures and to teach children various skills, but now Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organization dedicated to the right of freedom of information, and BlockWorks, a dedicated team of Minecraft designers, animators, and architects, are using Minecraft with another goal in mind: press freedom. In countries where the press and social media are being strictly controlled by the government, people tend to believe things which are heavily manipulated. But most of these oppressive leaders tend to overlook Minecraft – a cheap, widely accessible video game in which players can create and share their experiences with others. Among the many things you can…

Presented by We’re enchanted with the idea of working from home. We imagine ease, flexibility, and access to a completely stocked pantry, fewer meetings, higher efficiency, and more getting things done. While we’re at the office, the idea seems simple. Then we get home, happy to leave work behind. And then a virus spreads around the world, society as we know it is upended, the world is nearly shut down, and we have no choice but to work from home. Suddenly, we’re left with the stark realization that we may not be prepared for that and exploring ways to make that possible. Out of a number of people I’ve talked…

With COVID-19 spreading, the state of the world has changed faster than you can change your shirt in the morning. We’ve gone from running about like productive worker bees to huddling in our house… nearly overnight. Part of me is like: And the other part is all like: Just about every aspect of life has changed but what’s really encouraging about all of this is when things get tough, people get busy; They turn to meet needs that are not being met and that inspires others to do what they can to help with what they’ve got. And these engineers, designers, and makers… they’ve got a lot. Prusa Research, makers…

Digital food storage is the name of the game in this tutorial. In a recent assignment, I sought to coach my CAD students at Virginia Tech through an Onshape modeling exercise in the kitchenware category. Our aim was to build a parametric model that was robust and could be morphed into different configurations by changing a few key dimensional values. I also wanted them to learn about the importance of space management both from consumer and point-of-purchase perspectives. I remembered how back in the day working at Rubbermaid Home Products Division, us designers accomplished this by incorporating nesting and stacking features in our designs. I thought that’s the ticket! And…