3D Printing

   The Immersive Education Initiative is a non profit international group of educators, research institutes, companies, museums and the like. Their mission is dedicated to define and develop the best standards and practices of teaching technological platforms, education programs, and communities of support for game-based learning, mixed reality, virtual worlds, and fully immersive environments like learning caves and domes. This years 2015 immersive education summit will take place Paris France. Details of the fall date will be announced soon. Stay tuned to immersiveeducation.org for more details.


    There are many exciting technologies being presented this year at the 2015 immersive education summit. Technologies like robotics, cybernetics, virtual reality, and my favorite, 3D Printing.  This report is about the exciting technology and evolution of the art of 3D printing. From its early stages, where massive, expensive machines could build custom items needed for the big companies, right down to the desktop-sized machine that you can buy online and build yourself.

3D printing has been around for 30years. Years ago it was an expensive, massive machine that only  big companies and corporations could afford to invest in. It is only within the past several years that the popularity has taken off and skyrocketed into the mainstream. As with anything, over the years, as technology and parts become smaller and cheaper, certain things that were once out of reach of the general public, become affordable and even main stream. 3D printing is a great example of how this industry exploded so quickly. 

 Some people say it was the Maker movement that thrusted this technology into the popularity spotlight. The Maker movement is the recent popularity of people thinking different about how things are made, fixed, and even conceived. It is the popularity of micro controllers like the Arduino, and raspberry pi, that created a whole new generation of electronic geeks. Enthusiasts are learning electronics, fixing their own clocks and dvd players. They're even designing their own automated irrigation systems and house security alarm systems. It is a movement that is still growing to this day. 

The two preceding pictures are printers from what is decidedly the MOST popular printing company called Makerbot. They were the pioneers and front runners in getting the power of 3D printing affordable and small enough to fit on your desktop. For under $2000(they're even MUCH cheaper now) you could own your own 3D printer and print out parts for toys, games, or even house appliances. You can design your own parts with free software thats easily downloadable, or you can use many of the design schematics that can also be found free online. The online community of people willing to help, and share their project diagrams are mind boggling. It is a massive community of people with a common interest, and a love for making...just about anything.

 You're only limited by your imagination. If you can think it, you can design it, If you can design it, you can print it out on a 3D printer. This remarkable technology will be just one of many exciting technologies represented this year at the 2015 immersive education summit. Don't miss out!