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April 21 2012
How to Program a Robot Parent
ParentBots and their Robot Masters, living in harmony
Dr. Techniko recently posted a really great way to introduce kids to programming. By having the children’s parents act like the robots and giving the children a “Robot Language Dictionary” of simple action commands, the children can write down instructions for their robots to carry out. This is a fantastic way to teach kids planning, creative and logical thinking, and problem solving. One of the amazing things about Dr. Techniko’s write-up is his descriptions of how the children will naturally develop and discovery certain programming practices such as parametrization, composition, abstraction, and testing all on their own!
If you want to try this out for yourself, Dr. Techniko has made the instructions and entire “Robot Language Dictionary” free to download!
February 08 2012
What if it isn’t there?
Bespoke Glowstick Connector
In some ways, it’s almost easy to take inspiration from something that’s right in front of you. When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, George Mallory famously replied “Because it’s there.” That mountain would always be there. However, it’s at least as important to recognize when something isn’t there, to ask your self why something isn’t some other way. Sometimes the answer is, no reason at all or that no one has thought of it before.
A few weeks ago my daughter was playing with glowsticks. We had made necklaces, bracelets, hoops, and wands. But, then she tried to tuck a single glowstick under the bracelet on her wrist. Since her wrists are much smaller than the bracelet, they just slipped right out. She asked whether we had any connectors that would allow her to attack the second glowstick at 90 degrees from the one on her wrist. 1 My reply was, simply “No.”
I waited for a little while… hoping. And then the question came, “Why don’t we have one?”
- Actually, she asked nothing of the sort. She articulated it mostly by showing me what she wanted to do. I described it for you, dear reader, as above since you have a better grasp of geometry than my 5-year-old.
February 06 2012
Second Week of Thing-A-Day on Thingiverse Begins
What have you made and shared today?
Bathtoy by Request!
Tool for a Working Artist!
Jewelry (and Tool for Future Jewelry)!
Tool for Learning About Clocks!
I figured this tool might be useful for the MakerBot Clock Makers project and for educators and students looking to explore basic gear mechanics. (I am spending time each day designing new attachments for it.)
Keep checking back to see what other Thing-A-Day participants are sharing on Thingiverse — and get out there and make some stuff.
January 17 2012
Triangle Man
This triangle would be a little harder to explain (Penrose Triangle Illusion by chylld)
This morning I was helping my daughter brush her teeth. As I was putting toothpaste on her toothbrush, she told me she had composed a song for me. Her song went like this:
“I love making toys with my daddy
My daddy’s robot goes zoom zoom when it makes things out of triangles”1
Several weeks ago I was trying to explain to her how my Thing-O-Matic converts our designs into physical objects. I told her I save our designs as STL files. I explained that any thing we see in the world could be expressed as a bunch of polygons. I then explained that any polygon could be expressed as a bunch of triangles. So, really, anything we could see or draw could be described as a bunch of triangles. And, once we have our file that is comprised of a bunch of triangles, we give it to our robot2 to build into our toys and tools.
- It has kind of a Francis song sort of a tone to it
- Flexo, the Thing-O-Matic
January 15 2012
Toothbrush Case Adventures: The Finale!
A pink toothbrush case with a handle
A little while ago my daughter asked me to help her make a very specific kind of toothbrush case – a pink one with a bulbous end and a handle. She and I worked together on the design until we arrived at something that was acceptable to my patron as well as possible in a mere 3 dimensions.
She was very happy with the final result. I was actually a little disappointed that they turned out so well with the first print. When printing things with my daughter, I like having a version that is sub-optimal in some way that we wouldn’t have realized before holding a printed version of our digital designs. Having an initially defective result gives her1 a way to look at an object and start thinking about how it could be improved. In retrospect, I should have added a small hole to each end to allow for drainage. 2
Then again, there’s also something to be said for thoughtful design and careful planning culminating in a successful initial result. It may not surprise me that she parlayed this success into her next request – a way to make her flip-top toothpaste tube easier to open.
- Well, both of us, really
- However, these can always be added with a drill or drill bit later.
January 12 2012
Toothbrush Case Adventures: The Design
Thingiverse Rendering of Fancy Toothbrush Case
When my daughter said she wanted a very specific toothbrush case, I was really only too happy to help out. While integrating someone into the design process who has a shorter attention span than myself1 does make things more challenging, there are some benefits. If you ever have the chance to design with a child, you’ll probably notice a lot of “feature creep.” The good news is that since their idea of what they’re looking for is so flexible, as long as you make a good faith effort and are trying they’ll be pretty happy with the results. And, since much of initial designing efforts consists of just putting big chunks of objects into the approximately correct place, there’s no harm in having your muse walk off and talk to a cat for a while.
There are certainly opportunities for education as well. We had to measure the diameter and height of her toothbrush with calipers, with her reading off the numbers to me. She had to think about how the final object would look and how she would use it. Her initial explanation had no opening to put the toothbrush in or take it out. After discussing the options, she settled on a style involving two-halves as shown above.
Designing with OpenSCAD is shockingly kid friendly. While SketchUp was good for quickly sketching out an idea, it was not very easy to revise it. With OpenSCAD all I have to do is change a few parameters and the entire design can morph into something new. My daughter was able to select her favorite handle width and height by comparing just a few options in very quick succession.
Once the design had been approved, it was ready to print.
…to be continued
- Oooh!! Shiny!!
January 11 2012
Toothbrush Case Adventures: The Idea
A few days ago my daughter began to ask me about toothbrush holders. Toothbrush holders are the kinds of things to which adults rarely give much thought. 99.9% of the time they just sit in a drawer waiting for that 0.1% of the time when you go on a trip and it gets tossed into your travel case.
But, to a 5-year-old, a toothbrush holder is a thing of magic, beauty, and ceremony. Its appearance heralds adventure – since it is only brought out when they’re about to go on some exciting trip. So, I suppose, it shouldn’t be all that surprising that she wanted one of her own. However, there were specifications…
The toothbrush holder must have a bulbous end. The toothbrush holder must have a handle. And, above all else, the toothbrush holder must be pink. PINK!
I pointed out that there was no reason for a toothbrush holder to have a bulbous end or for it to have a handle. toWhile she understood there was no reason for such things to be, she understood equally well that there were no particular reasons for them not-to-be either.
With the issue resolved, she drew the above schematics. The most amusing part of this for me is that it never occurred to her that she couldn’t have such an impossible toothbrush holder. From the moment the idea of a bespoke toothbrush holder popped into her head, she knew full well that her father need only be properly instructed in the design for the toothbrush that he might, in turn, so instruct the household robot.
And with that, we embarked upon the adventure of the toothbrush case.
…to be continued
December 30 2011
Juice Box Weirdos by gwygonik
Juice Box Weirdos by gwygonik
These “Juice Box Weirdos” by gwygonik (aka Gregg Wygonik) are one of my new all time favorite things on Thingiverse. From the description of his inspiration, multiple variations on his own ideas – including some blanks so you can expand on them, with suggestions on how you could take his ideas even further, to the more full explanations in his own blog, this is what Thingiverse is about. I don’t think we even have any juice boxes in my home, but I’m sure as heck going to go buy some now. 1
Recently, while looking for how to best make a salsa-jar snow globe, I saw that a lot of people were turning juice boxes into boats and other cute objects by using stickers or paper. And I thought: “Wait a minute! What if I printed pieces for juice boxes? What if you could mix and match the pieces too?!”
I would be totally remiss if I didn’t mention Gregg’s blog detailing his adventures with his family and MakerBot 3D printer. Gregg, if you’re reading this, I’ve followed you on Twitter and added your blog to my “must read” RSS feed.
- For, um, my kid.
December 14 2011
Tape Dispenser by jag
Tape Dispenser by jag
Here’s the thing – kids LOVE scotch tape. If you gave a kid their very own scotch tape dispenser, they would just be over the moon. Nearly invisible, slick on one side and adhesive on the other, scotch tape is basically magic. Mad props to jag for yet another awesome kid-centered print!
October 17 2011
Feet for Cardboard-Figures by guru
Cardboard Dragon with 3D-printed feet
I can honestly say I didn’t understand just how cool these simple 3D printed feet were until I saw this picture. Drawing an animal for a kid is one great. But being able to turn that drawing into a toy for them to play with is just so much cooler. Thingiverse user and MakerBot dad guru has provided his method for creating quick and fun characters for use with these plastic feet. In the true spirit of Thingiverse, he’s also shared his OpenSCAD designs for printing your own feet.
Also, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention SuperAmi‘s own game piece foot which serves a similar purpose. 1
- I suppose, SuperAmi’s foot is for monopods and guru’s feet are for bipedal and quadrupedal creatures?
October 14 2011
Parametric Pirate Hook by SuperAmi
Pirate Hook by SuperAmi
Thingiverse citizen and MakerBot dad SuperAmi has shared what is sure to be a Halloween favorite – a parametric pirate hook! One of the most amusing things about this picture is that it really looks like SuperAmi’s son is running at top speed. In my family the refrain of “You’ll put your eye out!” has been passed down through generations. I can just picture this pirate tyke responding, “No I won’t! I’m wearing an eyepatch!”
October 12 2011
Mechanical Animals by sconine
Mechanical Animals by sconine
Thingiverse citizen sconine has just shared some really amazing toy mechanical animals. Colorful, playful, and whimsical, each of these hand crank toys is sure to delight a child. 1 2 Guaranteed not to wet the carpet, bite, or require you to let them out in the middle of the night these creatures would make excellent pets for any kid. Interestingly, since the coolest instances of these toys is with multiple colored components in each toy, this is one of the few multi-piece prints that would not be well suited for printing plates! I especially like how each of these toys has a distinctive motion to them. I can’t wait to see what other little mechanical toys Sconie shares!
Also, over the last two weeks or so I’ve gotten into the habit of handing out imaginary and arbitrary points. 10,000 awesome MakerBot dad points to Sconine!
- Or, as in my case… the child-like.
- They are also very reminiscent of the popular Trammel of Archimedes
October 06 2011
It’s Nothing to Be Ashamed Of
Dishwasher Baseplate Holder
Last night I hacked together a quick household fix. When I came home from work I found that the baseplate to our dishwasher had come loose and wouldn’t sit flush against the dishwasher any more. The screw that held it in place was rusted and didn’t want to catch in the hole where it was supposed to go. It took only a few minutes to slap together a quick OpenSCAD model, print it up, find some screws, and screw this part into the wooden cabinetry to hold the baseplate in place.
All together it wasn’t more than 30 minutes from start to finish. I got as far as screwing the part in before my wife asked me what I was doing. Her response once I told her was, “You are NOT taking a picture of that to post on the internet!”
Okay, here’s the thing I find amusing. She isn’t ashamed of the chunk of plastic I designed or that I bolted it to the wooden cabinetry. She was more self conscious about our decrepit dishwasher than the bit of DIY hackery I slapped together to fix it!
September 02 2011
Bespoke Pencil Case
Pencil Case for Exactly 10 Pencil
After my daughter and I were drawing the other day I commented to my wife how cool it would be to carry around a few colored pencils of my own for when I feel like doodling or sketching. 1 2 A few days later she presented me with an excellent selection of 10 short colored pencils that were duplicates from my daughter’s collection. 34567
However, now that I had these ten little pencils, I was faced with the challenge of how to carry them around. After measuring them with my trusty calipers, I found they were 7mm from flat side to flat side on a cross-section. The above design uses a “width” of 7.2mm, which has resulted in an excellent fit. Each of the pencils falls/slides easily into a vacant hexagonal slot. The printed cap could be printed by increasing the “width” of the pencils. 8 I’ve included the OpenSCAD file for anyone to peruse. Before you try to render it, please note it uses the MCAD library of shapes for OpenSCAD to create the hexagons. 9
Without my trust Thing-O-Matic at the ready, I would never be able to find the perfect little pencil case for these pencils. And, not taken a very large sample reading of other pencils10 I wouldn’t even know if a case for other pencils would fit these little ones. Perhaps my favorite part about this design is that when you slide these little pencils into the case, you just know this case was custom made for these ten pencils.11
- As opposed to working.
- Which is pretty much always.
- She’ll never miss them.
- In part because she has so many. In part because it will still be a year before she can read and a few more years until she could find this blog post.
- “Those pencils, honey? Oh, those are daddy’s pencils.”
- Actually, I already know what the true price of these pencils will be. My daughter will request her own little pencil case – which I will be only too happy to print for her.
- “What color, honey?” “Pink! PINK!“
- The cap pictured is from the prior draft print.
- If only someone would get off their bum and write a tutorial about OpenSCAD libraries!
- That is to say I didn’t measure any others…
- You probably know, but in case you don’t: – bespoke.
August 24 2011
MakerBot Heroes
Turtle Shell Racer by Skimbal
Weeks ago my daughter came to me with a toy catalog to show me a pink kitchen set she wanted. 1 I suggested that she use her existing pink kitchen set. She pointed out that this particular kitchen set had a microwave where hers did not. I offered that she and I could design and print one to go with her existing set. She responded that she would need it large enough to match the rest of her set. I explained that one of the only people I knew who was capable of printing something that large was Michael Curry and that we might need to ask him.
Fast forward to yesterday after work. She wanted to draw plans for things we could print on our Thing-O-Matic. One of her requests was a blender. We drew one and then she asked if we could really print it. I suggested that we could – but that we’d need to do it in big pieces and might need to ask Webca for help.
Then she piped up, “Or Michael Curry.”
Webca, Michael Curry – you guys are heroes in our house. 
- By way of context, my daughter is a little over four years old.
July 05 2011
Garden Hack
Gardening wire frame clip (the printed one is on top)
My wife and daughter planted a little summer garden recently. This little garden in large parts is surrounded by some tall green metal wire frames for providing support to growing plants and provides some minor protection against very large animals and small children. The wire frame support kit, as you might imagine, came with the exact number of the little plastic clips used to assemble the structure. In it’s third year of use, we finally lost one of those little clips.
And now I had an excuse to bring out my calipers, whip up some OpenSCAD code, and fire up the 3D printer. Admittedly, I spent more time than was reasonably required to over-engineer the result. Since these little clips were going to be in use throughout the summer and be visible the entire time, I wanted a design that would match the originals as closely as possible. After printing out a test piece in black, I printed another forty or so in clear PLA. These new parts look as good and work just as well as the originals and are biodegradable to boot.
It’s a funny thing, living in a post-3D printing world. I certainly don’t want to misplace any of the original plastic clips the wire frame set came with. However, losing a little widget is no longer a cause for alarm, some expensive replacement, or a temporary fix with duct tape/zip tie/twist tie. While duct tape and zip ties have their place, being able to create a permanent fix for a problem is a pretty amazing thing.
June 20 2011
MakerBot Dads!
Here’s a great video of Schuyler and his dad at Maker Faire! Got a story to relate about using a MakerBot with your kids or parents? We’d love to hear those stories! Drop us a note!
June 15 2011
Announcing our $455 CupCake CNC Ultimate Kit Father’s Day Sale!
3D Printing for Fathers Day!
This one goes out to all the MakerBot Dads and Fathers worldwide, and soon to be MakerBot Dads!
This is an unheard-of 3D Printing bargain, the likes of which shock even me, your dear narrator. On Sunday 6/18, The CupCake CNC Ultimate Kit is dropping to a brain-freezingly low price. We love the CupCake CNC and know what a st/deal this is, so take advantage and get one soon! These are the last units of the CupCake, and we have run out of space for them here at the BotCave. Yesterday an avalanche of printed parts temporarily blocked access to the bathroom, and the decision was made. “Sell, sell, sell!” called Commander Bre. The big wheel keep on turning, and Father’s Day is looming! So get cracking and get the all-time best bargain in DIY 3D printing history. It’s everything you need to get started 3D Printing with a fun build, a great device, and a great Father’s Day Gift! This is a limited time offer so carpe diem!
June 10 2011
Andrew, his kids, and the Porsche Speedster
Here at the support desk, we like to ask our customers what they’re going to be using their MakerBots for, and every once in awhile, you get a fantastic answer. I was helping one customer out recently (Andrew) and here’s what he said when I asked him about his plans:
The next things I’m planning on scanning are parts for my classic car (a la Leno), and more importantly, scanning my kids!
Now I am all for scanning your children — after all they’re growing and they won’t be small for very long; I think all of us will be scanning our children very soon (if we’re not already.) But I have to admit that I was a bit more intrigued by the car stuff. So that’s what I asked about…to which Andrew replied:
The car I’m printing parts for is attached in this mail (internal door lock parts, plus a few impossible to get bits). I’m scanning one side of the car, mirror, then print, you get the idea.
That’s when he sent this photo of the 356 Speedster. Well, apparently the Thing-O-Matic isn’t the coolest toy in Andrew’s household, but it gives me a warm feeling inside just knowing that our humble little machines are helping keep something like that in good running order.
May 27 2011
MakerBot dad and Hero: snrk
Viktors Nyckel (spare key for piggybank) by snrk
What does a MakerBot dad do when his kid loses the key to his piggy bank? Design and print a new one!
During the winter, my son lost the key for his piggybank. I tried to print a new one this January out of ABS, but that didn’t work. Today, he nagged me for another try, and with a little downsizeing, and PLA in my new Stepstuder, the key actually forced the pigs security system. Big win!
Hurray for snrk, dad and MakerBot hero!
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