Will there ever be a creation made on a 3D printer that isn’t super cool? Not if Adam Polak has anything to say about it. He just designed a quadcopter made out of 3D-printed parts. Obviously, there is some assembly required, and some technical know-how to get the thing to fully operate, but the entire kit is available for purchase in case any serious DIY-er wants to try it out.
As is described on Polak’s website, Polakium Engineering, a 3D printer is able to create the basic structure of the device, like the frame plates and arms. By using standard ABS plastic to make these pieces, the arms are able to bend and move yet remain steady and tough to break.
Polak provides instructions on how to assemble everything together, including the required non-printable parts like the battery and flight controller. The main point, though, is that all of the aesthetic parts of the copter can be created without any hassle.
This is an example of how 3D printing is becoming more and more of a universally accessible technology. It used to be something reserved only for major corporations or for high-end designers and engineers. Now, though, the middleman is slowly being cut out. Instead of ordering a customized action figure from a company, for example, you can just buy a 3D printer and make your own. Granted, the current market price of around $2,000 for a solid 3D printer is still steep for most consumers, but that price will come down and it is a huge leap forward from the machines that used to cost well over $10K.
The fact that Polak, a college student, can have his own 3D printer and share his creations with the world is the perfect example of not only how 3D printing will mold the future, but how it is already molding the present.
via O’Reilly Radar
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