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Evolving Design through Rapid Prototyping

Here’s one part of the Makelangelo Drawbot as it has evolved over time. Note that this could not have been possible without rapid prototyping machines and software like Solidworks, RepRap 3D printers, and the Redsail laser cutter at the VHS.

Version 1 – 30 minutes for each piece. 10% of prints fail Quality Assurance or need cleaning up. Eight other pieces in three varieties need to be added to make this part work.

Version 2 – 70 minutes for each successful piece. 60% of all prints fail QA. Two types of screws need to be stocked to use this part.

Version 3 – 3 minutes for each successful piece. <5% of all prints fail QA. Two types of screws need to be stocked to use this part.

It’s finally fast enough that I can video the process.

With each new technology that becomes available I am able to iterate that faster and produce better parts. I’ve finally reached a point where I’m satisfied with these motor mounts and they will no longer be a production problem. The next challenge is to do the same for the bobbins, and then build a better pen holder. Where will I find A CNC lathe and a drill press?

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Let’s Make a TV-B-Gone

If you buy a TV-B-Gone from this site and you live in Vancouver, Canada I will give you a free soldering lesson at the Vancouver Hack Space so you can put it together yourself.

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Filming strategy

I put my iPhone on the lens of the lamp. The tape on the table gives me a hint about the maximum viewing area so I don’t have to watch the camera and my hands at the same time. I have second light off to one side to brighten things and add warmer tones. This is how I filmed the last several videos, including the one in the previous post.

I need more lighting and I’d love a higher resolution camera so I can move it further back and have more room to work. Also the lamp jiggles every time I bump the table and it’s so low that I sometimes hit it with my head or an arm when I reach for a tool in that yogurt container. If you’re a fan of 5S or kanban than I apologize, I don’t have the resources to make it any tidier right now.

My question to you is: what else can I do to improve things? I need to be able to work at this desk and use it as a stage from time to time. Also, do you have experience with Vimeo? From their TOS I can’t tell if I’m allowed to post my stuff there or not – it might be considered advertising.

Edit: I’m using iMovie to edit my videos. It’s not exactly Nuke but as I learn the ins and outs it gets a little easier. Blender doesn’t make any intuitive sense to me and I need a low learning curve because I have so little time. Any other ideas?

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Laser cut motor mounts 70 times faster

Last night at the VHS Steven helped me laser cut a test of the next generation of motor mounts for the Makelangelo drawbot and the Skycam. The 3d printed prototypes took 70 minutes to produce – and that’s not count all the times the printer ruined the piece 10 minutes from the end. These take only a minute to cut on the Redsail laser, they flat pack, and the pieces glue together in about ten minutes. Next I will be using the laser cutter to solve pen up/down.

More immediately, I’m having trouble mass producing bobbins. I want to mill them on a lathe and the quotes I’m getting are crazy – one said 50 pieces would cost $30/ea. The next said $6/ea. I’m looking for $1/ea or less.

There’s a number of craft fairs coming up in Vancouver at which Makelangelo will be appearing to take your requests. Stay tuned for more details!

Do you have a blog or magazine that’s looking for content? I’d love to talk about my robots with you.