I’ll continue my thoughts on technology that is readily available to almost anyone,  I’d like to show what can created in very little time without much training, by describing something I built today.

I needed a method to hold a sensor to my wrist for an experiment that I’m conducting.  In my head I imagined something like a wristwatch case with a Velcro band to make adjustments simple.

Using Autodesk Fusion 360 which is a FREE cloud based Computer Aided Design (CAD) program, I quickly sketched the design that I had in my head.  I made some fillets and chamfers along the edges to make it look pleasing to the eye.This is the part that I sketched and then rendered (turned into a pretty picture) using Fusion 360.

Fusion 360 can convert the sketch into a Stereolithograpy (.STL) file.  This file type is used almost universally in the 3D printing field.  Creating this file is just one mouse click in Fusion 360.

Using an Open Source (FREE) program called “Cura”, I converted the .STL file into “G-code”, which are the  instructions that tell my 3D printer how to create the part.  To make this file it’s just a matter of opening the .STL file in Cura’s “file menu”.  Cura automatically creates the G-code file, no other action is required.  The G-code file is saved onto an SD card with one click of the mouse.

The SD card was inserted into my 3D printer and the “Print” button was pushed to start the print.  After about an hour the part was completed.

This is the part with the Velcro band inserted into the slots of the part.

After making this first part, I thought of several changes that I’m going to implement to make it better.  When you hold a part in your hand, it’s easier to think about how to make the next one better.  The material cost of this part is just a few pennies. No big deal to toss it into the recycle bin (the material is completely recyclable and bio-degradable) and make a “better” version.  Iterating versions quickly is called “Rapid Prototyping”.

Any kid in grade school has the ability to make this part.  The child would only need a couple of hours of lessons to learn the basics of Fusion 360.  It would only take about 30 minutes to teach a kid how to use a 3D printer.  With less than 3 hours of classroom time, any child can start making almost anything that he can conceive of in his head into a real physical part.

Imagine it.  Build it!!!