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The Evolution of 3D Printing: A Historical Overview

3D printing has changed the way we think about production and creativity. From its beginnings in the 1980s to the cutting-edge technologies used today, the history of 3D printing is a story of vision, experimentation and innovation. In this blog post, I will explore the key milestones and those responsible for the development of 3D printing technology and the companies that followed.

Dr. Hideo Kodama & Chuck Hull

The story of 3D printing began in 1981 when Dr. Hideo Kodama of Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute, Japan, filed a patent for a rapid prototyping system. Dr. Kodama had successfully demonstrated the process for creating 3D plastic parts by photo-hardening polymers with UV exposure.

However, the first significant breakthrough came when Chuck Hull, the co-founder of 3D Systems, created the first 3D printed part on March 9, 1983, through a process he called stereolithography. Hull developed this technology after working for many years developing chemicals and then switching jobs to find himself working with ultraviolet light. Hull filed for a patient for stereolithography apparatus (SLA) in 1984. His technique used ultraviolet light to cure liquid resin layer by layer, creating three-dimensional objects. Today’s 3D resin printers are a direct descendant of Hull’s efforts.

In 1988, 3D Systems marketed the first commercial 3D printer, the SLA-1, which allowed designers and engineers to create prototypes quickly and efficiently. This was not only the first commercial 3D printer but was also the foundation for the additive manufacturing industry.

Dr. Carl Deckard (Go Longhorns!)

The 1990s included a surge of innovation in 3D printing technologies, with the introduction of new methods including selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM).

SLS, developed by Dr. Carl Deckard utilized a laser to fuse powdered materials, allowing for greater design complexity and material versatility. Deckard initially came up with the idea as an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin. He continued developing the technology as a Masters and PhD student with the help of Dr. Joe Beaman, a professor at UT Austin. After several years of trial-and-error, Deckard’s machine was capable of manufacturing real parts.

In 2012, Deckard co-founded Structured Polymers LLC, a company that develops novel polymers for SLS machines. He died at the age of 58, on 23 December 2019.

Scott Crump

Also in the 90s, Scott Crump co-founded Stratasys and patented the FDM process, which involved extruding thermoplastic filaments to build objects layer by layer.

Crump invented the technology known as FDM or Fused Deposition Modeling, patented it 1989, and founded Stratasys, Inc with his wife Lisa. Mr. Crump was CEO of the company for 25 years until the company’s merger with Objet Ltd. in 2012.

3D printing began to gain traction beyond prototyping. Industries started exploring its potential for creating end-use parts, molds, and even medical implants. The first 3D-printed organ model was created in 1999, showcasing the technology’s potential in the medical field.

Adrian Bowyer & RepRap

The start of the 21st century marked a turning point for 3D printing, as 3D printing became more accessible to businesses and individuals.

A major step in that direction happened in 2004 when Adrian Bowyer initiated the RepRap project. The program was started at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. RepRap was an open-source initiative aimed at creating a 3D printer that could produce most of its own parts. This essentially making affordable 3D printing technology widely accessible. This open-source initiative sparked a wave of interest in DIY 3D printing and led to the development of affordable desktop printers.

MakerBot

In 2008, MakerBot was founded, introducing the first user-friendly 3D printer for hobbyists and makers. MakerBot Industries, LLC was an American desktop 3D printer manufacturer company headquartered in New York City. It was founded in January 2009 by Bre Pettis, Adam Mayer, and Zach “Hoeken” Smith to build on the early progress of the RepRap Project. It was acquired by Stratasys in June 2013. As of April 2016, MakerBot had sold over 100,000 desktop 3D printers worldwide.

This accessibility of 3D printing fueled a global makers movement, inspiring individuals to create their own designs and share them online through platforms like Thingiverse.

Mainstream Adoption and Innovation

As 3D printing technology continued to evolve, it found applications in a growing number of industries. In 2012, the first 3D-printed car was unveiled by Local Motors, showcasing the potential for additive manufacturing in the automotive sector. Meanwhile, the healthcare industry began using 3D printing for custom prosthetics, dental implants, and even bioprinting tissues.

Josef Prusa

Prusa Research was founded as a one-man startup in 2012 by Josef Prusa, a Czech hobbyist, maker and inventor. Today, Prusa Research has grown to a 700+ team shipping more than 10,000 Prusa printers per month to over 160 countries directly from Prague.

Watch this YouTube video to find out how Prusa Research was born and what they achieved within only 10 years.

Creality 3D

In 2014, four friends in Shenzhen, China – Chen Chun, Ao Danjun, Liu Huilin, and Tang Jingke, started Creality 3D in a small workshop. Nowadays, the company consists of more than 550 employees occupied in offices located in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Huizhou. The company now sells more than 50,000 3D printers annually.

Sovol

In 2018, Sovol, based in Shenzhen, China, was founded with the goal of making 3D printing technology accessible to everyone. The company started by producing filament, accessories, and parts. In 2019, Sovol released its first printer, the SV01. Sovol’s products are designed to be open source, allowing users to customize and enhance their printers. Sovol’s products are known for being affordable, well-made, and easy to use. In 2024, Sovol released its latest printer, the SV08.

Sovol SV08

Check Price at Sov0l

Bambu Lab Emerges

In 2020, a team of engineers from DJI, a Chinese tech giant that dominates the drone market, started Bambu Lab. Like Sovol, the company is based in Shenzhen, China. Bambu Lab now has locations in Shanghai and Austin, Texas.

The company’s first product, the Bambu Lab X1, was launched on Kickstarter in 2022. The X1 was named one of the Best Inventions of 2022 by Time Magazine. In just a very short time, Bambu Lab has become a major player in the consumer 3d printer business, offering high-quality printers at a fraction of the cost of more expensive systems.

A Future of Possibilities

As we move past 2024, 3D printing continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Sustainability has also become a focal point, with researchers exploring biodegradable materials and closed-loop recycling systems for 3D printing. The future is bright, with potential applications in construction, aerospace, fashion, and even food.

Conclusion

The history of 3D printing is a testament to the tireless pursuit of innovation. From its start in the 1980s to its status today, 3D printing has changed the way we design, create, and manufacture. As we look ahead, it’s clear that the possibilities for 3D printing are endless. Its impact on our world will only continue to grow. The journey of 3D printing is just beginning so let’s embrace the future of creativity and innovation together!

Check out 3D printers on my Shop pages

Getting Started in Combat Robotics – it’s easier than you think

Have you been thinking about the possibility of getting into combat robotics? If so, this blog post is just for you.

I decided to write this because I’ve talked to several folks lately who said that BattleBots stuff looks really cool, but they wouldn’t even know where to begin. After all, robotics can be some pretty complicated stuff. And it can be, but the robots competing in the lower weight classes (fairweight, antweight, beetleweight) are not terrorabally technical.

You don’t need a degree in electrical engineering to enjoy fighting robots. All you really need is a desire to learn… plus a little cash (or credit). And even though money could be tight, I think most would be surprised how cheaply you can get into the hobby.

Your Ticket to Fun

There’s basically three ways to get into the sport. You can buy a package with everything you need to get started, all pre-built and ready to rumble. You can buy a kit which includes all the parts needed for a little shredding machine and build it yourself. Or you can design and build your bot from scratch, which is very attractive for some.

So if you are technically-challenged or not, there’s an avenue for anyone to get into the hobby.

Ready to Rumble

The easiest way is to purchase a all-in-one package with a fully built robot and radio transmitter. With just a little practice, you can be competing in local tournaments in no time.

There are several reputable companies selling these kits. Palm Beach Bots is just one offering “ready to fight” packages. They include FingerTech Robotics’ Viper in such a package. They have several other bots with different configurations, from lifters to vertical spinners, that can be made ready to fight with just a few add-ons.

A google search will direct you to other companies offering all-in-one options.

Don’t Forget Spares

Hopefully, whichever kit you purchase, it comes with a few extra parts because you are going to need them. There’s many times in-between matches you will need to repair the damage your bot incurred in the last bout. In some instances you will need to make repairs to be able to continue. Several people in tournaments will bring more than one robot just in case repairs can’t be done.

This leads us to the major disadvantage of buying one of these “everything included” kits. If you haven’t actually built the bot, you may not have the knowledge of the inner workings enough to make repairs. If that’s the case, you are dead in the water.

A Better Option

In my humble opinion, a much better option to the pre-built kits would be a kit that requires you to actually build the bot yourself. This gives you a working knowledge of how your bot works. You will understand every little thing about the workings of the robot, making repairs much easier.

These kits include all the individual components including a chassis, drive motors, wheels, an electronic speed controller (ESC), a weapon system (if using one), a battery, and all the necessary wiring.

A few kits even include a radio transmitter and receiver. If the kit doesn’t include a radio, you will need to make sure the receiver that comes with the kit is compatible with the radio you have or plan on purchasing.

Check out radios in my shop pages

Once again, if the kit doesn’t come with spare parts, you will need to purchase those separately.

Which Witch to Watch

For those wanting to start this way, I’m going to point you to the YouTube channel of one of the prominent BattleBots teams – Team Witch Doctor. Those familiar with BattleBots will associate the name with the hugely successful vertical spinner bot with the ribcage design as armor. Team Witch Doctor has not only been successful fighting the big boys in BattleBots, they also have a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to promoting the combat robotics community. They also provide STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs, enabling young builders outside of the “BattleBox”. In my opinion, that’s super cool!

Andrea Gellatly of BattleBots Team Witch Doctor

On the Witch Doctor Youtube channel, look for the “Witch Doctor Junior” playlist. In this series of 9 videos, team member Andrea Gellatly covers everything you need to know to build and compete an antwaight (1 lb).

Electronics of the bot Andrea is building

Andrea walks you through everything from the drive train to competing in your first tournament using the FingerTech Robotics Viper kit mentioned above.

I feel very comfortable recommending these videos as they are one of the most complete build series I have found on the net. You can view the videos here.

For Those That Like A Challenge

A third option would be to design and build the bot from scratch. This would be the choice for all the makers and creators out there. There’s some that get into the hobby just for the challenge of designing and building a combat robot.

Of course, building a fighting robot from scratch can seem pretty intimidating to many. But the bots built for the smaller weight divisions are typically pretty simple. Especially if a less complicated weapon or a wedge is incorporated into the design. More advanced weapon systems can always be added to your bot later when your technical confidence is higher due to more experience.

The good news for those wanting to get started this way is there is tons of information available with a lot of these resources being totally free if you have an Internet connection. There’s several great websites and YouTube videos with detailed info on building combat robots from scratch. Google (or your favorite search engine) is your friend. But I think I better save that one for a future blog post since this one is getting a little long.

Putting This Post to Bed

In conclusion, not only is fighting bots loads fun, but it’s easy to become part of the growing combat robotics community – no matter your current technical level. Between books and the Internet, you can easily learn everything you need to get involved. And get your friends involved too. There’s no greater satisfaction than total destruction of your best friend’s bot.

They Give Drones a Bad Name

As we wave good-by to 2024, looking back, it was not a great year for drone enthusiasts. Negative drone news this year made newspaper headlines and lead stories on broadcast news networks, have cast drones in an unfavorable light.

Unidentified Drone Sightings in the US

Starting in November, concerns across the country rose as many sightings of suspected drones were reported. These reports were not only near residential areas, but restricted sites and critical infrastructure also. The first confirmed sighting was near an Army facility, The Picatinny Arsenal, in Morris County, New Jersey. In the following days, additional sightings were reported about 45 miles away in Hunterdon county. Sightings were soon reported in New York and Pennsylvania. Since then, other drones have been reported in Washington, Florida and California.

Most of the reports are of large drones, some possibly “car-sized.” As most drone hobbyists know, drones weighing more than 250 grams are required to broadcast identifying information, including location, altitude, velocity, and location of the human controller, known as Remote ID. I had to purchase such a device for my drone, setting me back about $85. You would think the feds would have the Remote ID from the mysterious drone sightings, but if they do they ain’t saying. Of course, the drone pilots in these instances may simply not be complying with the Remote ID regulation. That’s always a possibility, but It should be noted that drones operated by the U.S. government are not required to broadcast Remote ID signals. Just sayin’.

The Feds Release Their Findings

A joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) released this month (December 2024) stated they have received more than 5,000 reported drone sightings. The report went on to say their investigations closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens and their assessment was the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.

The report concluded saying such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new and the DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate.

Read the government’s official release here.

Are these drone sightings as benign as the government would lead us to believe? Probably, mainly due to them not seeming too concerned. In fact, it could be their own drones – either in development (hence the secrecy) or UAV they have already been using all along. Maybe it’s E.T. giving us a closer look. I don’t know. Whatever they are, the conspiracy theorists out there will spin this as something evil, which will just harm those just trying to enjoy their hobby quads.

Orlando Drone Show Goes Bad For Even More Negative Drone News

On December 21st, an Orlando, Florida drone show turned tragic when multiple drones crashed into each other and fell from the sky. One of the drones flew into the audience, striking a 7-year-old boy in the chest. The boy underwent emergency open heart surgery, and at last report was recovering at home after spending Ckhristmas in the ICU. The mother of the boy said the drone struck his chest with such force that it damaged one of his heart valves. The boy’s lip was also cut by one of the drone’s propellers.

Several YouTube videos captured the incident. Approximately fifteen minutes into the show, multiple drones collide and start dropping from the sky. Some of the YouTube videos show a renegade drone not falling like the others, but flying a distance into the crowd.

Orlando’s WESH 2 News YouTube report.

FAA Investigates

After opening an investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended the drone company’s Part 107 waiver, which allows drone pilots to operate beyond typical restrictions, including flying over people or moving vehicles and exceeding a visual line of sight as is normally required. Anyone in the United States flying a drone professionally, such as a drone show, is required to obtain the Part 107 license. As of the time of this posting, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now jointly investigating the incident.

The drone company, Sky Elements of North Richland Hills, Texas, finished 3rd overall on “America’s Got Talent” in 2024. The company also holds eleven Guinness World Records. One record is a drone show with 5,000 drones.The company had to cancel New Year’s Eve drone shows in both Dallas and Austin. The Sky Elements show has been part of the Reunion Tower’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show in Dallas for the past three years. The incident has also triggered drone show cancellations across the country.

This is another example of negative drone news that causes the general public to perceive drones as something bad.

Drones – The New Soldiers of War

The use of drones has altered modern military operations with tactical advantages and efficiency not seen before. This was accomplished by combining precision weaponry and robotics. Add the ability to deliver a lethal payload with no risk to a pilot as they are flown remotely, and drones have become an important military weapon.

Drones also represent an economical benefit. Although military drones are not cheap, they are significantly cheaper compared to combat aircraft. A typical military drone can cost anywhere from a few million dollars to around $30 million. A fighter jet can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Russian Ukrainian war is a prime example of drone use in modern warfare. Both Russia and Ukraine both have extensively used drones in the conflict.

Ukraine has used military drones provided by other countries. But they are now building their own, with some costing less than $1000 each to produce. While not as technically advanced as other drones, these cost-efficient drones are still able to deliver lethal payloads, in some instances allowing Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia where radar would have detected aircraft or missiles.

US Drone Use

The United States has used drones for decades. Drones were used extensively in Afghanistan, not only for delivering deadly payloads, but also for counterterrorism and intelligence operations. In fact, intelligence obtained by drones was invaluable during the search for Osama Bin Laden.

The use of drones have changed how militaries fight at a tactical level and will impact all future battlefields.

Some will consider the use of military drones a good thing. After all, how many lives of pilots can be saved by the use of these unmanned aircraft? But war is war. And any war is bad. And as drone warfare becomes more common, the word drone will become associated by many as a weapon of war. That will only hurt millions of drone enthusiasts worldwide.

Wrapping Up All This Negative Drone News- Including 2024

I didn’t even mention the US ban on DJI drones (worthy of a whole blog post in itself).

2024 has not been favorable for drone enthusiasts. None of the negative drone news mentioned here has anything to do with hobbyists. They just want to race their drones or get some great pics. But, sadly, they will probably be affected the most.

These stories will just add to the public opinion that drones are bad birds. Which is a shame. As a drone enthusiast and proud drone owner for years now myself, I could talk endlessly about the hours of enjoyment my quads have given me.

We are in desperate need of the public seeing the positive side of drones. But with all the bad stuff in the news this year, I’m afraid public opinion will just get worse.

2025!

Have a very happy (and safe) New Years and I’ll see ya in 2025!

Don’t forget to check out my Knowledge Base articles.

Which Battery Do You Need?

You have been mulling the design of a new combat robot for a while. You just know you have the plans for a bot that’s gonna take names and kick some serious butt in your local combat robotics arena.

LiPo Batteries — FingerTech ‘Viper’ Combat Robot with vertical spinner

You’ve made a list of parts needed and you check it twice. A frame and armor (either ordering or 3D printing it) – check. Motors and wheels – check. A great weapon that will shred your friends’ bots – check. A receiver and ESCs (electronic speed controllers) – check. Wires, connectors, belts and switches – check. But it seems like something is missing. Hmmm… Yikes! No battery!

You have thoroughly researched all the other parts, but you totally forgot about a battery. How’s your little destruction machine supposed to come to life without any juice? Time to jump online for a little more digging.

LiPo Batteries

You find out LiPo batteries (Lithium polymer, sometimes also abbreviated as LiPoly) are the batteries most used for smaller bots due to weight and size. You go to your favorite supplier to order one, but the site has a bunch of them. Then you start noticing all the specifications: S… V… mAh… A… C… mm… Holy crap! How do you know which battery you need?

Voltage and Cells

You notice the battery above is listed as 2S 7.4V. You figure the V stands for voltage. But what is the 2S? With this LiPo, the 2 is the number of cells in the battery, S tells us the cells are wired in series, which means the voltage of each cell is added together to determine the total voltage of the battery. A single LiPo cell has a nominal voltage of 3.7V. A two cell (2S) LiPo has a total voltage of 7.4 volts, three cells (3S) at 11.1 volts, four cells (4S) would be 14.8 volts, and so on.

Capacity of LiPo Batteries

The capacity of a battery is typically specified in milliamp-hours (mAh), which indicates how much power it can produce. In the above case, the battery is rated with a capacity of 250mAh. But we don’t stop there. Next we need to multiply the capacity by the continuous C rate listed on the battery, which is the capacity multiplier. In the case of the battery above, we would multiply 250mAh by 35, which would give us 8,750mAh or 8.7 Amps. Will that be enough to power our bot? Maybe, but we need to do a couple more calculations just to make sure.

Time For More Math

To make this simple, let’s say you are building a antweight wedge with no weapon. You have two FingerTech “Silver Spark” 16mm gearmotors to use for the bot.

Checking the specifications for the motors, usually listed in the seller or manufacturer’s item description on their website, look for the stall current. This is the maximum current draw (in Amps) that the motor will pull when it is completely stalled. We find the the motor is rated at 1.6A each. So 1.6 + 1.6 (two motors) = 3.2 total amps for both motors. If our battery can deliver 8.7 Amps, it seems like that would be more than enough for our needs. But would it be enough for the duration of a three-minute match?

Now we divide capacity by current – 250mAh / 3.2A (or .25Ah / 3.2A for even dimensions), which is .078A per hour. Multiply that by 60 (seconds) and we find we can draw 3.2A for 4.7 minutes. Enough for our needs.

That would work for our antweight wedge. But if you want to add a weapon, you may need to find a battery with a little higher capacity. You just add the weapon’s motor or servo’s stall current to those of the motors. A 300mAh battery would probably work just fine, but do the math to make sure.

Size and Weight of LiPo Batteries

Size matters when it comes to the smaller competition classes (fairyweight, antweight, beetleweight). Real estate is at a premium with less area to store the battery. So don’t forget to factor in size and weight of the battery when planning a new build. TIP: you need an accurate set of scales to make sure your bot is in compliance with the weight class you plan on competing in. A good set of digital kitchen scales should work just fine.

Conclusion

Now you know how to determine what battery you need when planning a new combat robotics build. Battery safety and correct charging and discharging is also important when working with LiPos, but I’ll save that for a later blog.