Exploring the realms of bionics, engineering, industrial, and robotics has become an integral part of our daily lives. While creating robots from standardized parts is feasible, unleashing your creativity finds its best ally in 3D printing. The rapid growth of 3D printing technology has solidified its presence in the automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, medical, and consumer electronics industries. Mastering 3D printing and modeling isn’t just a hobby; it’s a professional skill that has evolved significantly.
On the evening of January 25th, the DKU Innovation Lab (InLab) hosted the first workshop in the year 2024 – 3D Printing Application: Robotics Design. The workshop was shared by Binyan Sun, from the class of 2025, who is also the leader of the DKU VEX Robotics team. Participants, led by Bob, delved into the critical role of 3D printing and modeling in robot design. During the workshop, Bob demonstrated the design of non-standard parts using Solidworks, emphasizing its popularity in modern industrial mechanical design.
From unveiling the applications of 3D printing in various robotics modules to presenting diverse robot models crafted by the VEX team, Bob provided a comprehensive explanation. He elucidated his team’s approach to building models from scratch, offering an in-depth insight into the entire 3D modeling design process.
Participants gave enthusiastic feedback on the workshop. Wenyi Zhang, from the class of 2026, commented, “The most interesting part for me was the actual modeling demonstration. Bob demonstrated step-by-step how to build parts from scratch. This gave me a clearer understanding of the design and modeling process and made me believe that I can also use such a tool to realize my ideas.”
“I hope this workshop will broaden the horizons of many students who are not familiar with the field of robotics and give them the courage to delve deeper into the application of 3D printing and modeling technology in the field of robotics. I look forward to more students getting involved in this field and growing in innovation in the future,” Bob said with great anticipation, referring to his original intention of setting up this workshop.
Through hands-on instruction, students not only mastered the intricacies of 3D modeling software but also understood the practical applications of 3D printing and developed a 3D design mindset. The shared experience was rich and compact, equipping participants with the knowledge needed for future innovative endeavors. In the next stage, the Innovation Lab will continue to conduct workshops on different topics around the use of 3D printing as well as areas such as AR and hand drawing boards.
