Illinois MakerLab Launches 1-to-1 Virtual Tutoring

This summer, the Illinois MakerLab launched a new service where clients would be able to receive one on one tutoring in regard to 3D Printing and Design. Due to the current situation, this service has been fulfilled virtually which allows our Gurus to connect with clients anywhere. Anthony Valiaveedu assisted our first client, Mac, who has shared his testimonial about this new service:

What was your problem before you began receiving 1:1 Tutoring Sessions?

“There wasn’t really a problem, I just wanted to get to know more about 3D printing and design in general.”

What results have you gotten after these sessions?

“I learned much about Fusion, blueprints, printers, etc.”

What exactly did you like most about the tutoring sessions?

“Maybe the homework since I’m always really absorbed in my work.”

If you were to recommend our service to your best friend, what would you say?

“If you ever get into 3D printing or something there’s this guy who works with me on that kind of thing. If you’re interested I could ask him about it.”

What made you choose our service over anything else you could have done such as learning on your own?

“I feel that I would get the most out of learning from some kind of teacher.”

With this new service, you have the opportunity to consult one of our Gurus and discuss your goals of receiving these tutoring sessions. More information can be found here!

If you are interested in 1-to-1 Tutoring Sessions, please reach out to us! We look forward to working with you!

And don’t forget to stay tuned for updates by subscribing to our newsletter, liking us on Facebook, or following us on Snapchat (uimakerlab),  Twitter or Instagram.

Illinois MakerLab Collaborated with Thera-Solutions' Functionalhand

Earlier this Spring, the Illinois MakerLab nominated the Functionalhand by Thera-Solutions as the “Coolest Thing in Illinois” Makers Madness held by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Thera-Solutions’ mission is to be able to provide materials or strategies that will assist those with disabilities in building their skills.

The Functionalhand is such an innovative tool that assists with grip and increases mobility in doing certain activities. It can be used to either hold items vertically or horizontally, that you could do “anything from painting, writing, brushing teeth, gardening, and holding a water bottle” as stated on their page.

The Illinois MakerLab not only nominated their product and encouraged everyone to vote daily, but also assisted Thera-Solutions in printing more of these at the Lab. The Functionalhand was able to make it to Top 4 in the competition thanks to everyone who voted.

Stay tuned for MakerLab updates by subscribing to our newsletter, liking us on Facebook, or following us on Snapchat(uimakerlab), Twitter or Instagram. Have something you would like help in producing? Contact us and we will help you get started!

Illinois MakerLab Assists in Research Study

Despite the current circumstances, the Illinois MakerLab continues to serve its community and of course, researchers on campus. Sean Preins and his team were struggling to find the perfect sized cuvettes to serve in their study of optical properties of fused silica samples that had been irradiated within the Large Hadron Collider. The Large Hadron Collider allows physicists to test different theories of particle physics. The Illinois MakerLab met their needs by printing custom cuvette holders that were designed by Sean and his team with Autodesk Inventor. These cuvette holders are vital for their study since they submerge their samples held in cuvettes into an index-matching fluid that will give the samples an optically consistent surface as told by Preins.

If you are interested in the Illinois MakerLab assisting you with custom designs, please reach out to us! We look forward to working with you!

And don’t forget to stay tuned for updates by subscribing to our newsletter, liking us on Facebook, or following us on Snapchat (uimakerlab),  Twitter or Instagram.

Illinois MakerLab Holds First Online Summer Camps For Young Students

In the past two weeks, the Illinois MakerLab held its first online summer camps featuring Adventures in 3D Modeling and Design with Tinkercad and SketchUp. Due to the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer camps were adjusted to be taught through Zoom in order to still give students the opportunity to continue their participation in these 3D Modeling and Design camps.

Despite some may finding 3D Modeling as complex, students ages 9 years and up tackled many challenges and successfully built a variety of designs. From building a pencil stand to a rocket, learning the basics and building some complex models has given them the tools to build whatever may come to mind.

Made by Avery B.

Made by Marshall B.

It was important that at the end of the camp, the students would be comfortable showcasing their skills when given the freedom to build a 3D model of their choosing. When the students were asked about the most interesting thing they’ve learned, many pointed out certain tools found in the programs but also creating some fascinating models. 

“Being able to make a chair was the most interesting thing I learned this week.”

— Simon L.

The camp may have ended for these students but after the 4 workshops provided in each session, they are now certified digital makers and will be receiving the prints of their 3D models.

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Illinois MakerLab Completes 3D Printed Hand

The Illinois MakerLab has recently completed a 3D printed hand to be part of the e-NABLE Community to work towards making prosthetic hands for those in need. The goal we have with this project is to get the Illinois MakerLab qualified as a chapter by the e-NABLE Community with the production and assembly of the Phoenix hand. Becoming qualified will allow us to be a provider of prosthetics to those who don’t have the privilege or accessibility towards devices that will improve their everyday lives. 

Feiyin Xue and Andrea Amador, Gies College of Business Students and Volunteers at the Illinois MakerLab, made the completion of this project possible with guidance from Mavisha and various gurus. 

“3D printing and this fun project is a brand new experience for us as business students. The actual work is far more difficult when we do it ourselves than watching someone else do it on Youtube. This assembling project improved our problem-solving ability as we are self-motivated to frequently ask why something failed and how we can get it fixed.” 

“Also, this project is more about the future. We are happy to be part of putting smiles on kids’ faces when they get to use it to help their daily life or having fun learning how to create a cool e-NABLE hand.”

It was challenging to overcome successful prints to assemble the phoenix device due to repetitive structural print failures. A possible cause of this was the orientation of print that affected the quality or strength of the part. A setback we also had was the need to reprint many of the parts. Something that we will keep in mind for future assembly is being able to adapt to the requirements so that we can ship in time. Due to the grinding and screwing of parts, we may resize our prints, so that the other parts seamlessly fit into another. Making these changes early on will allow us to prevent having delays throughout the process.