Recently, I had the pleasance of stopping yesteryear UC San Diego’s kickoff annual Make-A-Thon. I wasn’t exclusively certain of what I should expect, but I was excited as well as knew I would move amazed. Upon entering the room, I could experience something special—you know, that buzz as well as unloosen energy only a room amount of driven as well as tenacious people working amongst grit could create.
The pupil organisation Triton 3D-Printing Club (T3D), novel since Jan of this schoolhouse year, arranged a 3D printing hack-a-thon final result amongst the hope of encouraging students to acquire how to approach problems inwards a squad setting as well as exposing them to experiment amongst 3D printing. The contest was dissever into 2 categories: novice as well as advanced, amongst participants ranging from kickoff years to graduating seniors. I had the chance to beak amongst winning advanced team.
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| Shake as well as Bake's award-winning design |
The iv members of the winning team, Shake as well as Bake, were awarded their ain 3D printer for their design, which resembled the pod racer from Star Wars. The squad consisted of graduating seniors Narek Geghamyan, Daniel Ip, Victor Long as well as Glen Padilla, all studying either mechanical or aerospace engineering, as well as most of them had no prior experience amongst 3D printing. It took the squad nearly xxx minutes to brainstorm, as well as iv to 5 hours of pure pattern earlier they were create to print. They each made their ain private designs earlier reconvening to possess got the best aspects of each persuasion as well as create prototypes until they knew each part was exclusively functional as well as efficient. They described their experience equally a “very enjoyable process,” as well as praised 3D printing for its rapid prototyping ability. As i Shake as well as Bake fellow member said, “You rarely possess got the mightiness to create an entire device out of scratch inwards i sitting.” And I believe the event’s atomic number 82 coordinator, Andy Kieatiwong, would vigorously nod his caput inwards agreement.
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| Andy Kieatiwong |
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The novice team's design |
For or as well as thence of us, this tool is even as well as thence real new. I also spoke amongst i of the novice teams; the grouping consisted of freshmen Zenas Heng, Emilee Kang, Kasey Li, as well as Joe Wong, all students pursuing – or at to the lowest degree interested inwards – or as well as thence cast of engineering. None of them had whatsoever experience amongst hack-a-thon-type events, nor did they possess got much experience working amongst 3D printers. They learned a lot – miscommunication as well as technical errors prevented them from printing on time, leaving them amongst real pocket-size models. Despite the drawbacks, none of them regret having participated inwards the event. As a freshman myself, I agreed amongst them that the Make-A-Thon is i of the many opportunities that contribute to our above-average technology scientific discipline experience hither at UC San Diego.
Beyond the grandeur as well as hope 3D printing holds, the Make-A-Thon offered experience to those without the way of obtaining it. Furthermore, the final result was less nearly competitive feelings as well as to a greater extent than nearly having fun. The novice squad I spoke to chose to participate inwards the Make-A-Thon later on having heard nearly the final result from their friends. One of the Shake as well as Bake members fifty-fifty called his grouping the “all-star team.” Perhaps he said that because they all had extensive experience amongst modeling software, but I’d similar to believe it was because the accomplished something else – they merely made memories amongst friends.
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| Some 3D printers! |
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| Shake as well as Bake (From left to right) Narek Geghamyan, Daniel Ip, Glen Padilla, as well as Victor Long |