re:Tech – OpenGB Cat proofing, Size and Shape…

(note the image above is a concept image only and not a real design)

The OpenGB project gives us a chance to think about how to add design elements or change the Gigabot configuration to make it fit better in a home office setting.  There are a few of us at re:3D that have Gigabots at home and also have cats, dogs, babies and whatnot.  Unfortunately our loved ones don’t really use common sense when jumping on the Gigabot or nibbling on it to see what it might taste like.  (I have explained to Mr. Squeakers that the Gigabot is not a cat toy / house, but he’s a bad listener.  It is a character flaw.)

But anyway…

So at the preliminary design review we identified a couple of area to see if we can make less tempting for little hands or paws. What do you think? Do you have a cat that attacks your 3D printer? Let us know, email patrick@re3d.org.

pinch_and_burn_point

Because of it’s large print volume the Gigabot 2.0 does not fit through many interior residential doors.  While there is some work arounds for this in a pitch, OpenGB is an opportunity to try to balancing shrinking one dimension of the Gigabot to less than 30 inches while trying to maintain the large build size.  How big are your doors?  Email and let us know, (patrick@re3d.org)  My interior doors are around 30″, and searching Home Depot and Lowes doors seem to be 30″, 32″, and 34″.  But there doesn’t seem to be a standard (for internal doors).

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Patrick Finucane

Blog Post Author

re:Tech – The Great Big Gigabot Experiment (or GBGE if you love acronyms)

At re:3D we are constantly evaluating opportunities to integrate open platforms and philosophies into our company & products. From the firmware that interprets Gigabot’s G-code, to 3D Thursday Google hangouts with our Kickstarter backers, we recognize that the best way to operate is by partnering with our community. With that in mind, we are experimenting with an iteration of our Gigabot open source design with an eye toward the Maker, the Tinkerer, and the Educator. We want to enable home or school-based manufacturing in a way that reflects today’s trends of openness, iteration, and personalization while solving some challenges you have shared.

Throughout this process, we’re learning a lot. Not only about 3D printing, but about how people create things, and what their challenges are. So in the coming weeks we would like to share this experience of gathering user experiences, and solicit as much feedback as we can from the tinkerers who have ideas and thoughts to share. We are also researching different ways to approach manufacturing, so you may see some alternatives to our current, low-volume approach that you see today in Gigabot.

Our aim is to align this version of Gigabot with the philosophies of the new industrial revolution that we see ourselves within. Customizable – yet having standardized interfaces. Modifiable – yet with a clean design. We want “Your Gigabot” to continue to be a melting pot for multiple industries, but have some specialized features that really take advantage of the size, and the diversity of input material.

The  “experimental version” of Gigabot which we are currently calling “OpenGB”  is designed to be built with open source development boards like the Arduino, and Beagle Bone. It will also explore solutions to some challenges our home based users and those collaborating on 3D printing projects have shared.  We think there might be a better name than OpenGB, but haven’t found it yet. We’re are hoping you will have some ideas.

This Gigabot has been inspired by the feedback & needs of our hobbyist hackers. As we adventure into an even more open Gigabot, we feel it is important to share our plans, and collect your inputs along the way. We invite you to check out our blog for project updates and to contact us directly with feedback at  engineering@re3d.org!

Patrick Finucane

Blog Post Author