Photo courtesy of Gemma Petrie, GSLIS alumni and UX designer in Chicago.

The Fab Lab presented today at the 2013 University of Illinois Public Engagement Symposium. Thanks to Gary and MK Watson, Virginia McCreary, Andrew Knight and Jeff Ginger for showing the public some of our tools (live UP3D + Silhouette!), curriculum and collaborations. Additional thanks to everyone who stopped by to make something!

We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Office of Public Engagement for providing the grant that enabled the community Fab Lab installations at Stratton Elementary, Urbana Free Library and Tap In Leadership Academy.

A little over a year ago, 3D printing was a funky new technology that you might find at modestly sized booths in the basement level of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES. Recently, President Obama mentioned it in the same breath as Apple and Intel during his State of the Union address, while talking about ways to create new jobs and manufacturing in the United States.

Read more on CNET:

Custom Settlers of Catan Board

by Charlie Mooney

Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis has been doing research into using 3D printing technology to solve world problems, particularly housing in emergency situations and low-income environments. Watch the video and learn where home-construction might be going in the not-too-distant future.

More information:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2187623/Contour-Crafting-builds-house-24-hours.html

An infographic about 3D printing in education and related areas. Click to see the full version.

I ran across this paper that explains one way to calculate support structures for 3D printing. 

http://cybertron.cg.tu-berlin.de/rapid_prototyping_11ws/slicer/

I found it relatively clear and easy to understand.

Of course, there are more than one way to skin this cat, so this isn't necessarily the way any given software works.

This is pretty cool:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/next-4-d-printers/?src=twrhp