Robotics, Learn by building, module IV: Prototyping and 3D printing

This module will fuse together everything you learned in the first three courses in the series. You learn the fine art of prototyping, which is construction of original machinery from scratch. You’ll then use it all to build your first robot, a 3D printer. 3D printers really are robots, and with a 3D printer you can then literally print custom designed parts for your robot designs. The 3D printer design we will focus on will also double as a 3D scanner. You will learn various 3D scanning and modeling techniques such as photogrammetry.

Ian will show a variety of both tools, techniques and best practices, including tips and tricks from his own decades of experience in prototyping and modeling.  You’ll see first hand how to use tools you may already have to work in ways you probably never thought of, to make complex parts.  You’ll also learn different mold making techniques and special tools you’ve probably never seen before, or show good and safe ways to use these tools.

You can choose to purchase the 3D printer kit, or the cheater kit of the laser cut birch plates and provide your own aluminum extrusions, bolts, hot head, etc…  Or you can scratch design and build your own 3D printer from new parts or scavenged parts. Because you are the one designing and building your 3D printer, there are fewer limits to what you can do with it.  It can have a huge printing bed compared to commercial 3D printers that would normally cost thousands of dollars, or you can retrofit it with a laser cutter to custom cut your own parts, or retrofit it with a milling head to cut your own custom metal parts.  All these systems incorporate the same principles of the computer controlled gantry, effectively a robot.

Please note this is a new course (October 2024) and it will take months to add all the lessons in. Here is some of what you will learn:

What is prototyping?

First secret of prototyping: *redacted* (it’s a secret – you’ll have to take the lesson)

Be P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N.A.L.

Some Terminologies

Pro tip #1: Printable patterns & CAD

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

CAD and workflow

CAD techniques for your prototyping

Case study: Mechanically animated museum display

Making the plates for your 3D printer

-simple machining of even metals to apply CAD to prototyping your parts

Robot design (and 3D printer design)

Designing electronic control boards for 3D printers and robots

Effective use of common power tools

Mold making techniques

How 3D printers work

3D printer assembly

3D scanning techniques

Designing your 3D printer to double as a 3D scanner

Computer Aided Design of robots and electromechanical devices

3D modeling basics and designing your robots in CAD

The various stages of assembly, calibration and testing of your 3D printer

Using your 3D printer

Making caterpillar tracks for your robots

Plastic working

Fiberglass working

Metal working

Plastic forming for our submarine robot case study