3D printing has been making waves in almost all facets of the design engineering industry from life-saving medical devices designed for preemie babies to parts for military airplanes. In fact, a recent industry survey by Tech Pro Research showed that though only 12 percent of companies are actively using 3D printing, 48 percent of companies were evaluating the printers. Of those companies, 19 percent planned to implement 3D printers in the next year. The market is growing so rapidly the McKinsey Global Institute predicts that in 10 years, the 3D printing industry will exceed $500 billion.
As companies start to recognize the benefits of 3D printing like faster time to market and lower costs, one company is trying to emphasize the educational benefits of this technology available in schools.
NVBots, a Boston-based company started in March of 2013, has created a fully-automated cloud connected 3D printer with the idea that the set of technical skills necessary to utilize a traditional 3D printer should not be a barrier to receiving the creative and educational benefits of the technology.
The goal of the company, according to co-founder and CEO AJ Perez, is to create a technology that makes the design and 3D printing as ubiquitous as the code.
Essentially, the company created a 3D printer that anyone can use. Other printers have a knowledge threshold or other barrier that makes them difficult to implement in schools. As a result, students aren’t learning how to think creatively because they don’t have the technical knowledge to get started.
“Being able to augment the 3D world is more important than being able to augment the computer world because these are things that we use and touch,” says Perez. “These are the things we use and touch. People take for granted the idea that things just exist today because we’ve built beautiful supply chains and people have no sense of what it takes to get that done. They have no say in the process.”
So NVBots is looking to give students the option to be involved in the creative design aspects without having to learn complicated coding or CAD programs. The goal was to make the manufacturing aspects of 3D printing so simple, that even students as young as six can use it and be able to focus on the creativity and not on the software.
The Challenges of 3D Printers
Though 3D printers offer flexibility and creativity, most of them aren’t classroom-friendly. Some of the printers, like those made by Stratsys or 3D Systems require an operator with a distinct skillset. Oftentimes, one person has total control over the machine since the operator will have painstakingly set certain parameters that will need to be reset if the project is interrupted. Other printers, like Formlab’s Form+1, require chemicals and post-processing and most of the printers require that a person be physically by the machine to remove the printed part so that the next part can begin printing. None of these are problematic when it comes to corporations, but for a school where the system needs to be designed for multiple users and operate at least semi-independently, these challenges can seem impossible.
Because the NVBots 3D printers were designed with schools in mind—though corporate leases are available—the creators knew they had to design a system that was simple, easy to learn, automated, and innovative enough to be useful in a classroom. Because, after all, that’s the whole point of introducing a technology like this into school if it’s not educational (and fun.)
“You want the kids to be more creative that’s the goal of 3D printers in the classroom, increasing creativity so the U.S. is more competitive,” says Perez, who estimates the number of current users to be about 500. “You can’t do that if everyone has to be an expert at design, code, machine tools, and operating and maintaining a 3D printer, but with this all people have to do is focus on the creativity.”
NVBot printers are automated and can be observed via a live video feed so no one has to be physically watching, plus a robotic hand can remove parts once they’re printed so the printer can work continuously. They’re also designed for multiple users—NVBots recommends one for every 50 students—which makes them more appealing for a school that’s catering to large class sizes.
3D printing innovation
Perhaps one of the most innovative aspects of the printer, and the one that makes it a valuable tool for educators, is the cloud-based component. Because the aim is to make the printers a useful option for teachers, the company offers up 3D printer-based curriculum and lesson plans so it can be integrated into the day-to-day of a classroom. The interesting aspect of this is that the curriculum isn’t all being created by the NVBot teams, but rather by the teachers that have figured out what works and what doesn’t.
Basically, the team is working to create a group of Master teachers, who are established experts in a particular field, and who will take a look at any curriculum submitted by other teachers. If that’s approved, the plans will be sent to the marketplace where they’re be accessible to anyone with a printer.
The idea is that while the NVBots team may have a great way to integrate the printer in to a particular subject—Perez says he’s okay with physics or chemistry but he’s “not your guy” for biology—a teacher might have a creative way to use the printer for a completely different purpose.
For example, Perez didn’t think there was any way to use the printer for math lessons, but one teacher proved him wrong. The teacher went over the concept of volume with the class. The students were then told to come up with the dimensions for a box to hold a certain volume of water. Then the teacher used those dimensions to physically print the box and actually fill it with water.
“The teacher turned volume and design thinking into an experiment and math concept,” says Perez.
The plan for the next phase of NVBots printers is to increase the number of schools that are leasing the product and build up the Masters network and marketplace. In the future, Perez is hoping that the marketplace evolves into something that will allow people from everywhere to share ideas that might change the world.
My hope is that this is a way for people around the world to share practices so schools in developing companies have access and vice versa,” says Perez. “There’s so much we can learn from each other but there’s no means to communicate that.”