uOttawa Richard L’Abbé Makerspace

3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a three-dimensional object from a digital model. It works similarly to a regular ink-and-paper printer in that it systematically moves through space to create the desired print.  In the past decade, 3D Printing has become a key component in the field of rapid prototyping. 3D printers fall under the category of CNC (computer numerical controlled) machine since they receive their tool path information from a computer.

There are a few different types of 3D printers that have been developed. At the uOttawa Richard L’Abbé Makerspace we are working on different exciting projects using these different types of 3D printers and 3D printing technologies. Take a look at the exciting projects being developed at uOttawa Richard L’Abbé Makerspace.

3D Scanning for Custom Prosthetic Design

3D Scanning for Custom Prosthetic Design involves building specialized scanners that map all of the features and contours necessary for creating a 3D blueprint of an amputee’s body; through this project, we can help produce the absolute best-fitting and best-designed prosthetic limb for the patient in question.

This project is exploring the potential of motorized structured light 3D scanners as the solution to automating the prosthetic design process, to make it accessible and affordable to clinics in rural communities, and in developing nations.

The Kestrel 3D Printed Prosthesis

The Kestrel is an open source 3D printed upper limb prosthesis that has been designed to be fully parametric. As such, it can be easily adjusted to fit a wide variety of people and can also be easily modified to meet many unique needs. The Kestrel provides all of this at a low cost of manufacture, and the assembly process required in its construction is simple and well documented. It is a great option for many low cost, upper limb prosthesis needs.

Medical 3D Printing & Design Project

Medical 3D printing can be used in a variety of ways, such as re-creating patient anatomy, designing simulations, and prototyping clinical tools. As a result, a user must select carefully from a multitude of software options and materials when considering 3D printing.

The Medical 3D printing project at uOttawa Makerspace explores medical 3D printing with multiple modalities and materials, such as re-creating patient anatomy from radiological scans, designing simulation models, and prototyping learning tools for students and clinicians.

Wearables are clothing or accessories that are equipped with a microcontrollers. This allows them to control a variety of components; wearables are usually designed with a practical component in mind or to make a desired fashion statement.

At the uOttawa Richard L’Abbé Makerspace we are working on various exciting projects using several types of wearable technologies.

Light-up Headband

The light-up Headband is a headband for kids of all ages that allows them to learn using an Arduino program. It uses neopixels, a type of RGB LED. Currently, the user can program the LEDs to show different colours and to turn on and off in patterns. The base of the headband has a rail so that different covers can be slid over the LEDs and let users make it their own. Future expansion plans include adding a Bluetooth module so that colours can be set from a phone, or an accelerometer, so that the lights can be changed while the kids move and dance.

Virtual Reality (VR) replicates an environment that simulates physical presence in places within the globe or imaginary worlds and lets the user interacts with that world. Video games by artificial means create sensory experiences, which might embrace sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

In uOttawa Richard L’Abbé Makerspace we work with the “Oculus Rift”. The “Oculus Rift” is the first model of the new generation of virtual reality equipment. It reinvigorated the passion for virtual reality and paved the road for other companies to launch themselves in this market. Although the commercial release of the “Oculus Rift” is planned for 2016, the developer kits have been available to some for a certain time. The preceding information will be targeted toward the second version of the “Oculus Rift” developers’ kit.