A Year of #FreePrintFriday Open-source Designs by re:3D

When we set up the Gigalab in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, alongside our neighbors and partners at Engine-4 Foundation, we weren’t just building a container lab. We were planting a seed, an idea that digital fabrication should be for everyone, and that creative tools should serve the people around us.

So we started small. One design, every Friday. Free. Useful. Sometimes funny. Sometimes experimental. Always open.

What started as a small weekly gesture quickly grew into something bigger, a rolling catalog of open-source designs, community responses, and whimsical one-offs that anyone can download, print, and build on. While we’ll be highlighting a few of our favorite moments here, there are plenty more where these came from. So if something catches your eye, or if you’re just curious, we invite you to dive into the rest of our #FreePrintFriday designs on Thingiverse and Cults3D.

Big Bots, Big Ideas

Interior of 3D printing Gigalab

Inside the Gigalab, we’ve also been putting our large-format GigabotX printers to work. Many of our favorite designs showcase how recycled plastic and local fabrication can do so much more:

3D printed stool
Printed in one piece, strong enough to sit on, weird enough to get compliments.
3D printed hexagonal ceiling lamp shade
Dodecahedron inspired light fixture, sharp and stylish for any space.
3D printed cable wrap with red cable wrapped around
A functional form made to tidy up heavy-duty cords on the go.
3D printed kite flying in the sky

Our 3D printable kite experiment. Still very much a work in progress, but easily one of the most fun things we’ve ever designed. Building something that’s meant to flex, fly, and occasionally crash (gracefully) has pushed us to think differently about material use, weight, and structure—all while showcasing the beauty of recycled 3D printing.

Collaborations with Our Local Community

Working alongside our neighbors at Engine-4 Foundation has been core to Gigalab’s mission. Many of the ideas we’ve printed came directly from conversations at Engine-4 with Co-Founder, Luis Torres, whether it was a passing comment, a workshop brainstorm, or someone pointing at a problem and asking, “Can we 3D print a fix for that?”

Some standout collabs include:

3D printed hydroponic rocket shaped container
A modular hydroponic tower, designed to help promote urban agriculture in small spaces, printed with reclaimed plastic.
3D printed weed fork picker
handy garden picker, born out of a brainstorm about accessible harvesting tools for local growers using formbot, the bot doesn't do everything (yet).
3D printed drone adapter holding a net with a package

The drone care package hook, a collaboration with both Engine-4 Foundation and the Municipio of Bayamón, used in earthquake simulations to deliver supplies via agricultural drones.

More on the simulation from Puerto Rican local news:
Primera HoraTelemundo

These kinds of projects remind us that when we design with our community, we design with purpose.

Culture, Celebrated in Layers

Some of my proudest open-source designs that connect with my Puertorrican identity:

3D printed frog
A tiny homage to Puerto Rico’s most iconic Coquí frog.
3D printed sculptures of three kings
A Low Poly Three Kings Ornament, blending modern design with beloved holiday tradition.
3D printed model of statue Monumento al Jibaro Puertorriqueño

Our photogrammetry model of the Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño, scanned, modeled, and shared to honor Puerto Rican heritage in a tangible way.

These designs always spark conversation, everything from an “aw” to an “I want one” to someone recognizing their own story in it, saying, “I used to drive past that monument every day. The view was breathtaking.”

Designed for People

Girl with her 3D printed red prosthetic leg cover

The most personal of our projects came through the Rotationplasty Prosthetic leg shell designs.

It started with a visit. Wilfredo Rodriguez and his daughter Emily came to Engine-4 with a bold question: could we design something that didn’t just cover for her unique rotationplasty prosthetic leg, but make it look and feel amazing? Something Emily could wear with confidence, something that felt like hers.

We scanned her leg using photogrammetry, modeled around it with Rhino and Fusion 360, and started prototyping with rPETG, Nylon, and TPU. Eventually, we found the right balance, lightweight, flexible, and durable enough for everyday life. The final shell was finished with automotive-grade paint for a smooth, protective finish.

But the story didn’t stop there.

Girls with their 3D printed red and white prosthetic cover

Left is the back of Emily’s cover, middle is daniels cover and right is Emely and Anya
Emily’s friends Anya and Daniel, all the way in Boston, got scanned too. We designed and printed their custom shells right here at the Gigalab in Puerto Rico, and sent them north, each one uniquely shaped and styled for them.
This wasn’t just about aesthetics. It was about saying, with a smile, “I want that leg”

Creative Chaos at Haystack

group of people meeting for 3D printing event

Located on the rugged coast of Deer Isle, Maine, Haystack Mountain School of Craft is a legendary space where artists, designers, and thinkers come together to push creative boundaries. We were lucky enough to be invited to spend a week there with the GigabotX 2 XLT for Haystack Labs, joining a wild mix of tinkerers and craftspeople for a creative tech residency.

Designed by Shelby Doyle and printed on GBX2 XLT

At Haystack, we experimented with University of Maine’s wood pulp PLA feedstock, tested out sculptural forms, tricky overhangs, and parametric designs that challenged our printers and our imaginations. We had the pleasure of learning with Shelby Doyle, AIA, an Associate Professor of Architecture at Iowa State University and co-founder of the ISU Computation & Construction Lab. Her expertise in digital fabrication and design-build education brought valuable insights to our explorations, pushing the boundaries of what we could achieve with recycled materials and large-format 3D printing.

3D printed coffee mug caddy with cups

But one of our favorite prints? A five-mug coffee caddy we designed because we were too lazy to take our mugs back to the kitchen one by one. Turns out the kitchen staff liked it too as it’s a recurring problem!

table with 3D printed designs

Functional Tools, Fun Fixes

A lot of our most downloaded open-source designs are little things that solve specific, everyday problems stuff that just makes life smoother:

macbook pro charger with 3D printed cable organizer case
MacBook 140w Flexi Cable Wrap Case, for untangled, compact, backpack storage
orange flexible 3D printed phone stand
Inspired by the question: "What if we made a one-piece phone stand durable enough to live in your wallet?"
3D printed orange cable tie holding cables

Inspired by SSgt Hart during our Gigalab demo at Cannon Air Force Base, she needed a better way to manage cables, had a great idea, sketch it out for us and we helped turn that need into a print anyone can use!

Gray 3D printed whistle with a hole and string in the middle

These weren’t built for retail. They were built for daily use, most came to life in under an hour, sparked by someone asking, “Hey, can you print something for this?” or even just a playful thought like, “What if we 3D print a whistle?”

A Year of Creative Response

Over the past year, we’ve shared over 50 open-source designs. Some are silly. Some are super niche. Some are actually really useful. Most are a little of all three.

What they all have in common is this: they came from the community, and they’re going back to the community. Free. Open. Ready to print.

Whether it’s a bookmark, a birdhouse, or a prosthetic leg cover, every design came from a simple idea: listen, learn, make, and share.

We believe 3D printing isn’t just a trend. It’s a tool for local problem solving, education, expression, and play. That’s why we do #FreePrintFriday .

So what’s next?

Gif image of GigabotX 3D printing a chair

We’ve still got a backlog of unreleased prints. Expect more cultural remixes, more functional tools, more weird stuff. Maybe even more community collabs!

Got an idea? Shere it with us by filling out our #FreePrintFriday form, we’d love to hear it!

Here’s to another year of printing what matters (and what’s fun). See you Friday and happy printing!

– Michael C. Pujols Vázquez and re:3D team

Michael C. Pujols Vázquez

Blog Post Author

re:3D Goes to Hawai’i

re:3D is a proud and active member of America Makes, an organization which works to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) and supports global U.S. manufacturing competitiveness as one of nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) operated by the Department of Defense (DOD). re:3D was invited by America Makes to join them in their expo booth at the 2025 Pacific Operational Science and Technology (POST) conference, recently held in Honolulu, Hawai’i. POST, hosted by the National Defense Industry Association, provides a venue for collaboration between the DOD, academia and industry to address challenges within the Indo-Pacific theater.

America Makes Booth at the POST 2025 Expo
America Makes booth at the POST 2025 Expo, shared with re:3D and Craitor
America Makes booth at the POST 2025 Expo, shared with re:3D and Craitor

During the expo, re:3D displayed and demonstrated a system under development for NASA to convert logistics waste into articles of need in space, along with discussing the company’s several Gigalab projects. (You can read a bit more about those projects in a previous blog post here.) There was a positive response to these projects with good feedback and some new contacts and references to follow up with for future collaborations. The America Makes team, including their representatives at POST, Ed Herderick and Kimberly Gibson, were fantastic partners and hosts.

Patrick discussing the benefits of recycling stowage foam in space at POST 2025
Patrick discussing the benefits of recycling stowage foam in space at POST 2025

Also sharing the booth was another America Makes member company, Craitor. The team at Craitor has worked closely with units across service branches to develop an expeditionary 3D printer capable of operating in extreme environmental conditions. Their FieldFab printer can keep printing while being violently jostled in the back of a moving truck, caught in a -40°C blizzard or drenched in a tropical monsoon. Their booth display has the FieldFab mounted on a wobble-table so you can kick the printer while it’s running – something we’ve probably all wanted to do at one time or another. It was great meeting Eric Shnell, Dan Valdes and Will Landry at the event. The re:3D team wishes them all continued success.

After many years, Mike finally got to kick a 3D printer and not feel bad about it

Midweek, after the expo was over, Kimberly Gibson arranged for re:3D to visit Min Plastics & Supply, a family-owned sheet plastics distributor and custom manufacturing company. Andrew and Aaron Min were gracious hosts and discussed possibilities for recycling drops and swarth from their manufacturing processes and using additive for creating custom sign mounts, skylights and tooling. Manufacturing and distributing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has a whole range of challenges and opportunities to explore, and we look forward to further discussions with the Min Plastics family.

Aaron Min, Michael Pujols, Kimberly Gibson, Patrick Ferrell and Andrew Min at the Min Plastics factory in Honolulu, Hawai’i. (Image Credit: Kimberly Gibson and America Makes)
Aaron Min, Michael Pujols, Kimberly Gibson, Patrick Ferrell and Andrew Min at the Min Plastics factory in Honolulu, Hawai’i. (Image Credit: Kimberly Gibson and America Makes)

re:3D was also honored to be selected as a demonstrator for the POST Field Experimentation (POST FX), held at the end of the conference at the Marine Corps Base Hawai’i, Kane’ohe Bay. The purpose of POST FX is for demonstrators (mostly government organizations, military units and private companies) to demonstrate technologies or capabilities which support the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility, including priorities for advanced manufacturing and contested logistics which are addressed by re:3D’s Gigalabs and other point-of-need tools using recycled materials. We shipped a granulator and a GigabotX printer to Hawai’i for the POST FX event and demonstrated printing mini drone bodies from reclaimed drones. “Drones from Drones” was an attractive concept to the attendees who stopped by to observe and learn more, including Mr. Michael Holthe – Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

Patrick describing the process of printing “Drones from Drones” at POST FX 2025
Patrick describing the process of printing “Drones from Drones” at POST FX 2025

While in Hawai’i, we were obligated to do a little sight-seeing, and of course we went to a luau. Mike is never one to stop working, so he took the opportunity during the show to scan a large tiki near the stage at the Aloha Tower in Honolulu. He cleaned it up and posted it for all to share and print as his weekly “Free Print Friday” on Thingiverse. You can find the model file here. Mike also scanned the anchor from the USS Arizona on display at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and has it published here.

Polynessian tiki statue at the Aloha Tower plaza in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

The island of O’ahu presented jaw-dropping views everywhere, and the people there really do have a special ‘aloha spirit’, all of which made the looong plane ride worth it. It’s no wonder that Hawai’i is such a popular vacation destination.

Beaches. Lots of beaches.
Byodo-In Temple, Ahuimanu, Hawai’i
Byodo-In Temple, Ahuimanu, Hawai’i
Sunset at Waikiki Beach, Honolulu,Hawai’i.

Until next time, Happy Travels and Happy Printing.

Patrick Ferrell & Mike Pujols

Blog Post Author

GIGAPRIZE 2024 IS LIVE!

We Have a BIG Announcement!

Congratulations to our 2024 Gigaprize winner – OrthoAdditive Africa in Cape Town, South Africa! OrthoAdditive Africa’s mission is to overcome barriers to healthcare access for people living with disabilities through CAD and additive manufacturing technology. They propose to use the Gigabot 4 FFF 3D printer we will be sending them to prototype a range of seating, positioning, and mobility devices currently in development with their collaborators Shonaquip.

You can learn more about their plans for Gigabot in their video:

A huge shoutout goes out to all of the outstanding applicants for this year’s prize who are doing amazing things in their communities here in the US and abroad – Asmbly MakerspaceBlack Sheep Food Initiativethe Citizens Archive of PakistanEveryShelterSOC Films, and the Welman Project! Entry videos for all of this year’s amazing applicants can be viewed on a dedicated playlist on our YouTube channel here.

Thank you to our amazing panel of judges for taking time out of their busy schedules to evaluate the application videos and determine the winner of this year’s Gigaprize. Please make sure to sign up for our newsletter on our website to find out when the next Gigaprize is taking place! 

THE FINALISTS

WHAT IS THE GIGAPRIZE?

The Gigaprize is a competition re:3D runs to support other amazing individuals and groups committed to building community, one layer at a time. For every hundred printers we sell, we donate one Gigabot large-format, industrial filament 3D printer to an individual or organization that will use it for a good cause.

Gigabot 4 3D Printer

WHO ARE OUR JUDGES?

An external team of impartial judges with a wide variety of experience and expertise will evaluate applications for the Gigaprize during the second half of December. Our stellar lineup this year includes:

Maria Arteaga

Maria Arteaga

Talent and Workforce Development Coordinator

Opportunity Austin
Berga, Gustavo

Gus Berga

Artist
Ellis, Luke

Luke Ellis

Account Executive

Indeed
Gallagher, Courtney

Courtney Gallagher

CEO

EarthViews
Laszlo, Joe

Joe Laszlo

Head of Industry Insight & Engagement

Shoptalk
Mayes, Jamie

Jamie Mayes

LIFT Consultant

UT Austin Honors Program
Morgan, Madelyn

Madelyn Morgan

Circular Economy Program Manager

City of Austin, TX
Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray

Management Consultant

McKinsey & Company
Riley, David

David Riley

Lead Instructor, Digital Modeling & Fabrication

IYRS
Zane Ross

Zane Ross

Engagement Manager

America Makes/NCDMM
Szmara, Pamela

Pamela Szmara

Founder and CEO

Pamton 3D

THE GIGAPRIZE 2023 WINNER

Our 2023 Gigaprize winner was Brookwood in Georgetown! Their vision of empowering adults with special needs with the Gigabot 4 3D printer to create art and change lives earned them this recognition.

3D printer with the Gigaprize instructions on how to apply

Michael pregill

Blog Post Author

2023 Gigaprize

Brookwood in Georgetown

And that is a wrap folks! Gigaprize 2023 is in the books, but our winner, Brookwood in Georgetown, is just getting started on their 3D printing journey! Brookwood in Georgetown is excited to use their Gigabot 4 to aid in producing ceramic molds and training for their vocational community that provides meaning work for adults with functional disabilities. Their final products the find their way onto the shelves at their award winning giftshop in Georgetown, TX.

GIGAPRIZE FINALISTS

We had many amazing applicants this year and it was an incredibly tight judging process, with our final 5 contestants (I Want That LegRe-InventaSew-PrintedCentro de Aprendizaje Educarte and Brookwood in Georgetown) being separated by less than a point. A huge thank you goes out to our wonderful judges – Khaalid McMillan, Sabine Berendse, Kameco de los Santos, Sonakshi Senthil, Josh Pridmore, Scott Austin Key, Jason Kessler, Sakshi Shah, Dr. Andrea Santos, Ama Fofie, Erik Hausmann, Lillian Ferrell & Lindsay Shwartz for bringing their expertise and industry experience to our judging process.

AMERICA MAKES

As a bonus, our Partner Organization AmericaMakes, will provide America Makes Education and Workforce development portfolio assets and training to the selected organization, meaning Brookwood in Georgetown will be onboarded into the AMNation! To learn more about America Makes, please visit their website at www.americamakes.us!

2023 re3D 3D Printer Gigaprize Winner BIG

A MESSAGE FROM BIG, 2023 GIGAPRIZE WINNER:

BiG has a vision of an inclusive, empowering world for adults with special needs. This marks a paradigm shift in the way that society typically views these individuals. We provide training and support for our Citizens to succeed in modified job tasks, allowing them to experience the dignity and satisfaction of accomplishing real work. Winning the Gigabot will allow us to dream and create in new and innovative ways for our Citizens to succeed. From making molds for our clay enterprise to creating adaptive tools for our Citizens to participate in our pie making kitchen—the sky is the limit! We are beyond grateful!
Debbie Guinn from BiG

I am so thankful to have been a part of this journey, and cannot wait to see what amazing things Brookwood in Georgetown will do with our Gigabot! I hope that the runner up will continue to follow re:3D and apply for our next Gigaprize!

Ryan Murray

Blog Post Author

re:3D® kicks off their 2023 Gigaprize Campaign, giving away an industrial 3D Printer to someone committed to uplifting their community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOUSTON, June 1, 2023 — re:3D, Inc. is pleased to announce the kickoff of their 2023 Gigaprize campaign. For every 100 printers sold, re:3D donates a Gigabot 4* large-format, industrial 3D printer to an individual or organization committed to doing good in their community and/or society. Past Gigaprize winners include, among others, Magic Wheelchair out of Portland, OR, who provides 3D printed Halloween costumes for kids in wheelchairs, and Tunapanda Institute, incorporating region-specific 3D printing educational curriculum and opportunities to serve community needs in Kenya. The application for Gigaprize is live as of June 1st, 2023 via the re:3D website (www.re3d.org/gigaprize). Submissions will be accepted until June 30th, 2023 at 11:59PM CDT. Applicants will need to produce and upload a short 3-minute video explaining how a Gigabot 4* would help in furthering their mission and fill out a short questionnaire. Judging will take place during the first two weeks of July, and the winner will be announced mid-July. To remain impartial, re:3D will bring in external judges with a wide range of experience and expertise. All contestant videos will be uploaded to the official re:3D Youtube channel and a small percentage of the final score will be based on the number of “likes” each video receives. 

*Gigabot 4 or equivalent store credit towards another 3D printer.

ABOUT re:3D

re:3D® Inc. consists of a group of explorers committed to decimating the cost & scale barriers to industrial 3D printing. Having pioneered the world’s first and most affordable, human-scale industrial 3D printer, re:3D likewise is creating large scale, affordable 3D printers printing from pellets, regrind, and flake plastic waste. Beyond creating 3D printers for customers in over 50 countries, re:3D offers 3D printing contract services, consulting, design and education services. For more information on re:3D, visit www.re3d.org

 

Contact:

Ryan Murray

gigaprize@re3d.org

+1 (512)730-0033

Ryan Murray

Blog Post Author

How To Make a 3D Printed Concrete Stamp

A section of concrete stamped with the phrase "Macklin Manor. Est 1989"

Pressed into the concrete outside the newly remodeled Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Youngstown, Ohio is a distinctive embossment, “Macklin Manor, Est: 1989.” The notation was added to honor the church’s long-serving pastor, Reverend Lewis Macklin II, a much-beloved community leader in Youngstown. What isn’t obvious about that marker however, is that the concrete stamp that made it was 3D printed.

Concrete stamping has been around since the 1950s, and the earliest stamps were made of sheet metal or even wood. Modern concrete stamps are made from molded polyurethane and have patterns that can make concrete look like brick, tile, or stone. Custom stamps are traditionally used to add company logos, building numbers, etc., but the lead time to create one is upwards of one to two months. What do you do if you need a concrete stamp and only have a few days before the cement trucks arrive? You call someone with a really big 3D printer, and in Youngstown, for Holy Trinity Church, that person was Pam Szmara.

We recently spoke to Pam Szmara with Pamton 3D Printing about the Macklin Manor project, and she shared this how-to, modified from Formlabs instructions, for how you can make your own custom concrete stamp.

Here's Pamton 3D's advice:

We recently completed a project that required us to design and 3D print a stamp capable of personalizing a concrete stone at Macklin Manor in Youngstown, Ohio. We enjoyed the project and are excited to have the capability to make small or large personalized concrete stamps for our clients’ residential and commercial projects.

So, how do you do it? How can you use additive manufacturing technology to help you personalize or preserve the history of your buildings, projects, or events?

Here’s a quick rundown of the process.

1. Draw your stamp digitally using a vector file format. You can use a software program like Adobe Illustrator or a free program like Inkscape to do this. When you have the design complete, save it as a Scalable Vector Graphic (.SVG) file, which can be imported into a CAD software to make the 3D model. Alternatively, sketch the drawing directly in the CAD software.

– The final design must be mirrored so that the stamp itself is the reverse of what will appear on a stamped surface.
– Use large, widely-spaced lettering and thick details so that the features read well in concrete.

2. Convert the vector design into a 3D model. Using 3D modeling software like Fusion 360, Onshape or Tinkercad, convert your two-dimensional .SVG file from a curve to a mesh. Then, extrude the mesh to make a 3d shape.

3. Add a backing plate. Add a rectangular backing plate to the shape. This will give you a flat, sturdy surface to stand on as you press the design into the concrete. We recommend the design fill up 80% of the rectangle.

"...it will take half a day or more to print your stamp, so crack open a beer and relax."
Pam Szmara

4. Optional: Add a stamp handle. A handle will help you easier position and remove the concrete stamp, however it will make your stamp require support material when you print it, so this is why it’s optional. The handle should be a C-shape attached to the opposite side of the backing plate from your design. Make the handle thick and robust, so it won’t snap when it has to resist the suction of the concrete.

5. Export the file as an .STL file and slice your print. For the Macklin Manor project, we used a good quality PETG to print the stamp. You can also use a TPU filament like Ninjaflex Cheetah, to make the stamp flexible, but that does have a higher material cost. Whatever you go with, position the STL to print with the handles down, and the design facing up. Slicing at a standard resolution (0.3mm layer height or similar) is perfect for a concrete stamp.

A Simplify 3D slice of the Macklin Manor concrete stamp 3D model.

6. Start the presses. It’s go time. Print your stamp on a large format 3D printer, like the re:3D Gigabot 3+ we use at Pamton 3D. Depending on the size of your stamp, it will take half a day or more to print your stamp, so crack open a beer and relax.

The 3D printed stamp on a Gigabot 3D printer

7. Start stamping. Now’s the time you’ve been waiting for. When pressing it into concrete, stand on the stamp if necessary, and if you mess up, pull it out, hose it off, and try again! You can use your new concrete stamp for whatever you want. You’ll be able to make your mark on all kinds of business or personal projects. 

Not wanting to make it yourself? Next time you need a custom stamp for your concrete project, we’re ready to help. Get in touch with Pamton 3D for a free quote or to talk about your 3D printing needs (but maybe give us a bit more than a couple days’ notice!)

Not in Ohio like Pamton 3D? re:3D Design and Contract printing services ship worldwide, and we’re always available to provide you 3D printers, 3D prints or 3D models to meet your needs.

"Macklin Manor. Est 1989"

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

ISS Mimic: a Link to the International Space Station here on Earth

When computer programmer Dallas Kidd was growing up, she wanted to be an astronomer.

“But I realized as a kid,” she said, “that I didn’t know what that meant, because I didn’t know any astronomers. So I decided I couldn’t do that.”

In high school computer programming classes, when other students were creating financial programs for banks, she again felt discouraged. She thought, “I didn’t know how to do that, so I guess I can’t have a career in this.” It took a long, circuitous journey to get where she is now. “I spent years figuring out what I wanted to do, and if someone had just been there to say, ‘Hey! I’m an astronomer,’ or ‘Hey, I’m a computer programmer. You can do this and here’s how!’ to make it real. I would have done this forever ago.”

Now an engineer at Skylark Wireless, LLC, Kidd is committed to offering those opportunities to students. Recently, she joined a special project that offers eager young learners hands-on experience in applied computer science, electrical engineering, 3d printing and mechatronics and encourages them to focus on space innovation: the ISS Mimic.

Five years ago, on the 15th anniversary of continuous human presence on the International Space Station (ISS), Boeing engineer Bryan Murphy proposed a STEM outreach project to his colleagues who work on the real space station. The idea: to create a 1% scale model of the ISS, complete with moving parts, that mimics in real-time the telemetry data of the space station that circles the earth every 90 minutes.

A poster with the title "ISS Mimic Physical Model Replicating ISS Real Time." A flowchart is labeled "Actual ISS," arrow "Live ISS data pulled from web," arrow "Cheap embedded processing & I/O," arrow "Interactive display," arrow "articulating model of ISS," arrow "Elements illustrate when crew wakes, sleep, perform tasks," arrow "Projection of earth behind model," arrow "Motors rotate 12 joints to match real-time ISS."
A poster created by Bryan Murphy explaining the ISS Mimic project.

Murphy wasn’t the only one in the group who had discovered that NASA was constantly broadcasting live, publicly available data from ISS back to earth via ISS Live. The vast collection of data, including details on battery levels, solar array rotations, air lock pressure, and much more was available for anyone to use. Murphy and his teammates figured: why not bring the station down to earth in a desk-sized model that anyone could interact with? They decided to go for it.

Boeing is the prime contractor for the ISS. For over two decades, Boeing’s ISS team has provided round-the-clock operational support, ensuring that the full value of the world’s most unique and capable research laboratory is available to NASA, its international partners, other U.S. government agencies and private companies. So, for three and a half years following the conception of the ISS Mimic, the off-hours project progressed slowly alongside the engineers’ work supporting the space station and the mind-blowing scientific achievements emerging onboard. The primary project goals were keeping cost and complexity down to be educator friendly while maintaining the essence of ISS.

"...that was the major obstacle that inspired us to either give up the project or fight with everything, with all of our arsenal, to get it refunded."
Sam Treadgold

ISS Mimic steadily took shape, but it wasn’t until February of 2019 before they felt it was ready for public demonstration. They took ISS Mimic to a local high school to show students the moving model. But something was wrong. The live data stream – that important information ISS Mimic relied on to represent its big sister in the sky – had disappeared. “Everything worked until we got there[to the school], and we were like, ‘what’s going on?,’” recalled Craig Stanton, Murphy’s fellow Boeing engineer and ISS Mimic teammate. Without the data, they couldn’t demonstrate the live syncing, but could still show off the mechanics, control screen, LEDs, and 3D printed parts, so in true fail-forward fashion, they pressed on.

The interest from teachers and students was palpable. Though they’d done some small in-house show-and-tells, “it was the first time for us to take it anywhere,” shared Murphy. “For me, it was very motivational to finally be out there.” The team knew they wanted to move forward and get ISS Mimic in the hands of more teachers and students, but what had happened to the data from ISS Live?

ISS Mimic, a 100th scale model of ISS, sits on a table. You can see 3d printed tubes, wires connecting to motors and large, foil covered solar arrays.
The ISS Mimic model includes 3D printed modules and motorized solar arrays. Not pictured is the Raspberry Pi interactive display screen. Photo curtesy of Bryan Murphy.

The team went searching for answers, and the news was not good. Sam Treadgold of Boeing’s ISS team phrased it succinctly, “ISS Live got defunded – the public NASA telemetry suddenly shut down, and that was the major obstacle that inspired us to either give up the project or fight with everything, with all of our arsenal, to get it refunded.”

They thought the project was toast. It would have taken a major decision from NASA leadership to reverse the funding decision, but the tenacious team wasn’t ready to give up. They contacted everyone they knew who had vested interest in the STEM engagement and outreach benefits of the now defunct program. After a string of touches with decision makers, a fateful meeting with William Harris, the CEO of Space Center Houston, the public visitor center next to NASA-Johnson Space Center, brought forth Harris’ support, and the collective efforts were enough to get the funding restored. The data stream turned back on.

ISS Mimic uses real-time data from the International Space Station to control its movements. Photo by Estefannie https://www.youtube.com/user/estefanniegg

“Once we passed that hurdle, it was like the floodgates opened. Let’s go. Let’s do it!” shared Susan Freeman, who also supports Boeing’s space station program. ISS’s 20th anniversary was approaching, and NASA was interested in promoting the project to encourage public interest in ISS. The ISS Mimic itself was in a development state that it could visualize interesting changes on ISS in real time. “One of the data values is the pressure in the U.S. airlock. We monitor that data so our program can recognize when a spacewalk is happening,” said Treadgold, “ Last year, when a hole formed in one of the Russian vehicles, the pressure in the whole ISS started dropping, and our lights started flashing [on ISS Mimic]. There wasn’t a spacewalk going on, and we were aware of the leak.”

“That’s not usually publicly known when that’s happening. It’s usually announced a few days later when NASA makes the public report,” shared Stanton, “but this way, you’re looking at the live data stream, and all of a sudden, you’re just as in the know as the people in the operations room. How cool is that for people and kids at home!”

re:3D donated highly detailed 3D prints of the ISS Mimic solar arrays for the project. The solar arrays are printed with PLA on Gigabot using a 0.25mm nozzle.

And it was becoming more than just an outreach project, they were discovering that this scale model was helping them understand the work they were doing on the real space station with more insight and more collaborative understanding of the challenges and quirks of the flying football-field sized spacecraft. “ISS is massive,” said Freeman, “I know only these tiny little pieces. That in itself is a humbling thing, to realize and accept that I’m not expected to know all of this vehicle. There is so much work done on ISS, and a lot of time you’re so focused on your little, tiny detail, that you don’t necessarily know what else is going on around you.”

Boeing’s Chen Deng, whose day job focuses on supporting the experiments on ISS, explained looking at ISS Mimic helped cut through misunderstanding about thermal needs of payloads. “By looking at [ISS Mimic], we realized it was at an angle where the payload was not getting any of the sunlight needed to keep its warmth or input from the station itself, and that really helped.”

Six people, four men and two women stand in front of a display of the earth with the ISS floating above their heads. All of them are wearing tshirts that read "ISS20"
Some of the ISS Mimic team posing inside of Space Center Houston. From left: Doug Kimble, Craig Stanton, Bryan Murphy, Sam Treadgold, Susan Freeman, Chen Deng. Photo by Estefannie https://www.youtube.com/user/estefanniegg

The ISS Mimic team is in the process of building a second model for Boeing’s internal team in charge of “pointing” the solar arrays. The ISS Mimic can rotate its solar arrays 60 time faster than the actual space station, allowing the engineers to test and visualize their code before using it on the real thing. ISS Mimic can also “replay” previously collected data engineers use to assess and understand anomalies. “This is better than numbers on a screen or even CAD animations,” reflected Treadgold. “You see this and know exactly what’s happening.”

But beyond the functional model, of which they’ve replicated 80-90% of ISS, the team wants to use ISS Mimic to make the interface intuitive, easy to understand and exciting to build for students. To make it so easy to pick up that it’s like a LEGO build, and so inviting that it draws people in to an interest in science or space. “The hardest part to get right is STEM outreach,“ shared Doug Kimble of Boeing’s ISS team. “We need to get more students involved and excited about ISS. We need future astronauts; we need future female astronauts. We need more kids excited about STEM, and science and math, and this is one of the ways we can do it.” Showing students that the robots they’re crashing into each other in competitions use the same encoders, the same programming, the same motor drivers that are on the ISS Mimic makes it accessible and reinforces for students their own capabilities.

“We want these ISS Mimic models everywhere, in every airport, in every museum, in every school. Big dream,” declares Freeman.

“So people can see that they’re capable of this,” explains Murphy, “and have a real chance to play in this domain. It’s a means to let every disadvantaged kid know they can do this stuff, tinker in this field and see if they may want to turn this into more than a hobby one day.” It circles back to Kidd’s experience with a lack of role models. If the team can introduce the ISS Mimic to a student who hadn’t been exposed to the space program before, they might spark an interest the student didn’t even know was there. It might just set them on a path to a career which, for the members of the ISS Mimic team, is challenging, thrilling, and celebrates humanity’s greatest collaboration.

The ISS Mimic team includes:
Chen Deng
Susan Freeman
Dallas Kidd
Doug Kimble
Bryan Murphy
Craig Stanton
Sam Treadgold

Want to volunteer? ISS Mimic is looking for programmers, 3D modelers & educators to join the team! Reach out to them at:
email: iss.mimic@gmail.com
fb: https://www.facebook.com/ISS.mimic/
ig: https://www.instagram.com/iss_mimic/
twitter: https://twitter.com/ISS_Mimic
discord: https://discord.gg/34ftfJe

re:3D offers 3D printed ISS Mimic parts available at shop.re3d.org

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

re:3D, Inc. honored by U.S. Chamber of Commerce as Community Support and Leadership Award Finalist 

US Chamber of Commerce. The Dream Big Awards presented by Chase for Business

re:3D, Inc. honored by U.S. Chamber of Commerce as Community Support and Leadership Award Finalist 

Finalists To Be Recognized During Annual Small Business Awards Program

HOUSTON, TX — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced re:3D Inc. from Houston, Texas as one of the finalists for its annual Dream Big Awards. The Awards, presented by Chase for Business with support from MetLife, celebrate the achievements of small businesses and honor their contributions to America’s economic growth. 

“Over the last several months, small business owners have faced challenge after challenge.  Yet, despite these challenges small business owners never stop innovating, pivoting, taking risks, working hard, and dreaming big,” said Tom Sullivan, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Small Business Policy.  “Small businesses are a critical and vibrant sector of the U.S. economy. The U.S. Chamber is proud to celebrate the very best in American small business through our Dream Big Awards.” 

The Dream Big Awards program includes Business Achievement Awards to recognize excellence in eight categories and reflect the leading businesses in each of the following areas: community support and leadership, emerging, green/sustainable, minority-owned, veteran-owned, woman-owned, young entrepreneur, and small business of the year. This year’s finalists were selected from a record of over 700 applicants.  

The Community Support and Leadership Award recognizes the success of one small business and honors its contributions to the growth and diversity of the American economy. This award recognizes a small business that has demonstrated an exemplary level of leadership and community engagement to assist the needs of its community, and to service the needs of its customers, employees, and neighbors during the coronavirus pandemic. re:3D has provided free prototyping of life saving devices, produced PPE for their community and supported their customer’s and partners similar efforts in response to the pandemic. The company manufactures large scale, affordable 3D printers that can 3D print from plastic waste as well as traditional feedstock and gives away one 3D printer for every one-hundred that they sell to someone making a difference in their community.

“The dire needs created by the pandemic have illustrated that local, small scale manufacturing, whether in your home or in small factories around the world, can be a means to serve your communities. We are grateful to the open source 3D printing community for banding together to create solutions for PPE shortages, and were honored to work alongside our fellow makers, customers and first responders to solve this challenge,” shared re:3D Community Ambassador, Charlotte Craff.

Award winners will be announced at the virtual Dream Big Awards program on Thursday, October 15 at 2:00pm ET.

About re:3D
re:3D consists of a group of explorers committed to decimating the cost & scale barriers to industrial 3D printing. Having pioneered the world’s first and most affordable, human-scale industrial 3D printer, re:3D likewise is creating large scale, affordable 3D printers printing from pellets, regrind, and flake plastic waste. Beyond creating 3D printers for customers in over 50 countries, re:3D offers 3D printing contract services, consulting, design and education services. For more information on re:3D, visit www.re3d.org.

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

Barclays and Unreasonable Group select re:3D to receive $100,000 Grant in support of COVID-19 related work

Barclays and Unreasonable Group select re:3D to receive $100,000 Grant in support of COVID-19 related work

Barclays and Unreasonable Group launch second $1,000,000 fund for entrepreneurial solutions addressing challenges resulting from the global pandemic

September 22, 2020 – LONDON – re:3D has been awarded a $100,000 grant in recognition of the exceptional work being undertaken in addressing the immediate and long term challenges resulting from the effects of the global pandemic.
The grant is designed to support and amplify the impact of the work re:3D is doing.

The Unreasonable Impact COVID-19 Response initiative was launched by Barclays and Unreasonable Group earlier this year and has already supported ten Unreasonable ventures that have pivoted their businesses to combat challenges related to COVID-19.

The initiative was launched as a direct response to the outbreak of COVID19 and is an extension of Unreasonable Impact, the unique multi-year partnership between the two companies supporting growth stage entrepreneurs across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific regions solving many of the world’s most pressing issues.

re:3D was chosen by a selection committee for the meaningful work they are doing to provide PPE to workers in minority and underserved areas who are at greater risk for critical illness from COVID-19. The program, PPE for the People, is fiscally sponsored by Impact Hub Houston, and has donated 3D printed face shields, ear savers and other PPE to help protect restaurant and food pantry workers, as well as organizations and small businesses that seek to reopen safely, like barbershops, nail salons, and veterinary clinics. PPE for the People partners include: Baker Ripley, Creatorspace, West Houston Institute IDEAStudio, Leidos, McDermott, Stand Behind and 3DPPE. “We are actively seeking businesses and organizations looking for this protective equipment. Please share this opportunity with those in need,” said re:3D Community Ambassador, Charlotte Craff.

re:3D Co-Founder and Catalyst, Samantha Snabes and Charlotte Craff will join the 12 other grantees at a virtual event, The Unreasonable Impact COVID19 Response Exclusive Summit, created with Barclays on September 29th, where they will have a chance to share re:3D’s exceptional work with a global audience.

Joe McGrath, Barclays’ Global Head of Banking, commented, “Through Unreasonable Impact we set out to offer advice, expertise, and support to entrepreneurs so that they can more quickly increase the scale and impact of their businesses. These entrepreneurs have been recognized for their ingenious approaches to tackling almost impossible-sounding challenges, especially in some of the most challenged communities across the globe. When COVID-19 took hold this year we knew that Unreasonable Impact entrepreneurs would be among the first to pivot their talent and drive towards responding to the impacts of the pandemic – and we’re in awe of the speed with which they did just that, and of the scale of the positive impact that they have already had. We’re honored to be able to extend our support through the Unreasonable Impact COVID-19 Response Initiative, which provided grants that will help these entrepreneurs to accelerate their work in response to the ongoing pandemic.”

Daniel Epstein, Founder and CEO of Unreasonable Group, added, “Unreasonable Impact was co-created with Barclays with a shared intention to support and scale up entrepreneurial solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. The global impact of COVID-19 is unlike any challenge any of us has seen in our lifetimes. Setting up the second COVID-Response to support and amplify even more Unreasonable ventures leveraging business to combat challenges related to the pandemic, is a natural extension of our mission. We are humbled to be supporting the exceptional work of re:3D.”

For more information and to be invited to attend the Exclusive Summit, visit https://bit.ly/3hJsIks
Full list of ventures selected:

  • 75F: Utilizing the Internet of Things and the latest in cloud computing to create systems that predict, monitor and manage the needs of buildings
  • Aerofarms: Responsibly and sustainably feeding humanity by growing flavorful, safe, and healthy food in the world’s largest indoor vertical farm.
  • Air Protein: Using microbes to convert elements of air into a sustainable protein product
  • Cell-Ed: Delivering essential skills training in three-minute lessons on any mobile phone — learners simply call, text, or click to access a world of learning
  • Green Fuels: The world’s leading supplier of biodiesel processors, producing over 400 million liters of sustainable fuel every year in over 50 countries
  • LEAF: Bringing safe and hygienic fresh fruits and vegetables to the marketplace by empowering all shareholders in the agricultural value chain.
  • Livox: The first intelligent alternative communication software for people living with disabilities, helping 20,000 people more easily interact with others
  • Purpose Works: Enabling sustainability, agility and operational efficiency in global supply chains.
  • re:3D, Inc.: 3D-printing objects 30 times larger than competing desktop models, at a more affordable cost.
  • Richcore: Eliminating contamination risks and creating safer medicines with animal origin free (AOF) proteins.
  • Sure Chill: Disrupting the entire cooling industry with new technology that doesn’t require a constant power source, enabling refrigeration of food products, life-saving vaccines, and more.
  • WizeNoze: Facilitating access to an easier-to-understand internet for children, teenagers, people with a low level of literacy, immigrants, and the elderly.
  • Árvore Educação: Improving students’ literacy skills and understanding of local and world events through a digital reading platform

About Unreasonable Impact, created with Barclays

Unreasonable Impact is an innovative multi-year multi-geographic partnership between Barclays and Unreasonable Group to launch the world’s first global network focused on scaling up entrepreneurial solutions that will help employ thousands worldwide in the emerging green economy. To date, the more than 100 ventures that comprise the global cohort operate in more than 180 countries, have raised over $2.1bn USD in funding, have generated over $2bn USD in revenue, and have created more than 30,000 net new jobs since joining Unreasonable Impact. For more information, please visit www.unreasonableimpact.com

About Barclays

Barclays is a British universal bank. The company is diversified by business, by different types of customers and clients, and by geography. Barclays’ businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by their service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group.
For further information about Barclays, please visit www.home.barclays.

About Unreasonable Group

Bringing together a global network of entrepreneurs, investors, creatives and business leaders, Unreasonable acts as a catalytic platform for entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges facing us today. From designing highly curated immersive programs, facilitating access to a global network of mentors to operating a private equity fund and providing advanced storytelling and media activities, Unreasonable operates at the highest intersection of business and impact. It is uniquely positioned to support growth stage entrepreneurs solving key global environment and social challenges to scale up through the deployment of knowledge, networks and capital.
For more information about Unreasonable, please visit www.unreasonablegroup.com

About re:3D

re:3D consists of a group of explorers committed to decimating the cost & scale barriers to industrial 3D printing. Having pioneered the world’s first and most affordable, human-scale industrial 3D printer, re:3D likewise is creating large scale, affordable 3D printers printing from pellets, regrind, and flake plastic waste. Beyond creating 3D printers for customers in over 50 countries, re:3D offers 3D printing contract services, consulting, design and education services. For more information on re:3D, visit www.re3d.org.

Media Contact:

Charlotte craff

charlotte@re3D.org
+1.512.730.0033 ext 2
Social: @re3Dprinting

Reassessing Our Mission in the Context of Systemic Racism

Reassessing Our Mission in the Context of Systemic Racism

Over the last week, our hearts have been broken for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and for others who have suffered from police brutality, as well as for their families and the black community as a whole. Like others before us have said, we too say:

Black Lives Matter.

The recent protests have humbled us to revisit our core mission: to democratize manufacturing and empower people to be problem solvers for their communities. A 3D printer is a tool that enables this, and our community has awed us – especially during the COVID-19 crisis – by proving that, when given the means to make anything you can imagine, people will create for others, problem solve for others, and 3D print with purpose.

We are using the current dialogue as an opportunity to critically assess how we can better accomplish our core mission to empower people through 3D printing while also taking active steps to include those who have historically been excluded from formalized innovation, entrepreneurship, and education spaces. As a small company with employees from a variety of diverse backgrounds, we recognize that we still skew predominantly white. We are also part of the tech sector, a community whose demographics are changing, but still look predominantly white, male, and monied. We believe active – not passive – inclusion is how we transform these spaces to be more welcoming and equitable for all. And that firmly includes the black community.

re:3D will take the following steps:

We will increase our efforts to amplify the voices of diverse leaders in 3D printing and STEM fields. Not just people who use Gigabots, but people whose work broadens our collective understanding of for whom and what this technology is used. These voices are out there and deserve to be amplified so our youth can see themselves in the faces of leaders.

We will also increase our efforts to give students – especially minorities – access to this technology. We believe in enabling the next generation of change-makers who will move additive manufacturing to the next level. For resources, consider the paper: Making Through the Lens of Culture and Power: Towards Transformative Visions for Educational Equality by Shirin Vossoughi, Paula Hooper, and Meg Escudé, as well as the initiative 0Things by Josh Ajima with DesignMakeTeach.

We will be more intentional in our hiring process. We are a small company in a new field, but we have big dreams, and we want to be a company full of diverse dreamers. By advertising jobs and internships in places where diverse communities live and study, and by having open, honest, and fair interview processes, we can increase the diverse voices in the company. We believe this can only help us grow our mission and broaden our work. If our mission aligns with yours, please visit re3d.org/careers. We’d love to have you.

Internally, we will continue developing company culture to include conversations about diversity, race, privilege, and social justice in order to dismantle our own subconscious prejudices. This is so we go out into the world with a greater understanding, empathy, and sensitivity to racism in our country. We do this work so we can be the allies we want to be, both inside and outside of work.

We are indebted and grateful to the protestors for putting their safety at risk to blast the message of equality towards the forefront of our minds. And when the protests fade from the spotlight, we will not forget how they brought focus to not just recent examples of police brutality, but also to the overarching issues of systemic racism. We don’t want to be just reactionary; we want our efforts to be long-term, with the goal of creating lasting change.

We’d love your feedback and collaboration. Feel free to reach out if you or someone you know is a diverse leader who we can learn from, partner with, and amplify. Send us a message at info@re3d.org.

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author