if any one would like to donate to this project *caugh *caugh




simply amazing a printer like machine that cuts out paper patterns.

Since the last model i had 2 new major improvements. First using Blocks in solidworks. This really helps my ability to engineer parts and know if they are going to work as a solid form. Secondly i decided to shove some bristle board into my printer and see what happens. The printing worked with out a hitch so no messy transfers of patterns. Next i need to look more at clear ways to help instruct the use of these patterns and construction safety.

so i created another model in solidworks that i hoped would work. Then created the flat patters in pepakura (see earlier posts for more details on this) Then i began to cut down 18x24 bristle board to 8x11 sheets.

so crossing my fingers it went though my printer w/ out any trouble or jamming.



with the patterns in hand i started cutting them out. However printing on 8x11 with out tiling is defiantly a challenging design constraint. Now parts have a serious size restriction making sure that the parts do not become too small or complex to handle is becoming a serious concern.

Lots of small connections and parts that need to be simplified a bit in how the patterns are made

Also i have been watching the amount of waste from the patterns to minimize scraps if recycled card board cant be used for intricate parts.

After about 7 hours of cutting and gluing its finally complete.

so i have been looking at some simple toys and their construction for some fun things to build.

So now i've been playing a bit more with cardboard to see what else this material could be used for to make and teach. The areas of interest i have been experimenting/looking into are gears, cranks, flight, pulleys.

some links to note:

product research

paper engineering kit, just found this one very similar in concept of construction.

growing tree toys

helpful/interesting





instructables The new planned home for my project after it is more developed and licensed for free noncommercial use under creative commons.

open prosthetics personally one of the most inspirational websites in with its user need based interactive product development. At the same time they keep the projects open source for all to benefit finding other revenue / donation sources.

an engineer using paper gears for mock up tests

The first round, testing the feasibility of cardboard gears. To construct this i designed a set of gears in solidworks, then with some time at the computer and figuring some software issues out, converted the solidwork files into dfx files using Polytrans. Then i could import the 3d data into Pepakura very cool program which creates flat patterns for paper craft from 3d models. This process is a little sticky but if anyone has quest ill explain more in depth.

the first few cuts with single ply cardboard

so the way the patterns were created the size of the tabs to attach the gears together don't work with cardboard. There is just not enough material to keep the layers from ripping. however this just may be a scale issue but the next round of tests will be to look at alternative methods for construction.

so i moved to bristol board to finish the gears, cut much faster and a bit easier to handle.

the finished working gear set.

The blog link the TECHNOBOTS at HSCT

This is the start of the new logo i am developing for them for this years competition.

so its been a long time since the last update and much has improved and changed. Since the winter break i have been working with high school students helping them prepare for the first robotics competition. After a few weeks of teaching and working with children at the High school of Computer and Technology ideas of how to implement an open source thesis began to emerge.

After seeing the interest in robotics paired with conditions and limitations of this school i began to think up basic do it your self engineering kits for kids. A way to learn basic concepts with out being limited to expensive parts. As the weeks went by i noticed how much cardboard the school threw away and integrated that into the development of this project. Essentially i want to make make kits with several guide lines.
1. Be totally free and accessible to any one with internet access and a 8x11 printer. ( see all the open source stuff below)
2. Be able to be constructed buy the user cheaply with glue a knife and found materials.
3. inform the students with information printed on the template to place it in context and historical/present application. (have a lesson plan for the parts)
3. Create a new outlet for cognitive learners that challenges traditional teaching methods with a hands on approach. (also researching tactics for teaching mildly learning disabled children to widen use)