MakerBot Industries

Well, it’s Monday morning after Maker Faire Bay Area and I’m already wishing the festivities could go on a bit longer. There’s just so much to learn and see, and so many makers to meet in such a short amount of time. We brought a ton of Awesome to this year’s faire including a MakerBot BotFarm, as well as a Robot Petting Zoo, a Photo Booth and Awesome Toss’Em (a MakerBot carnival game). In this special Maker Faire edition of MakerBot TV, R.Maker takes you on a tour of the faire and then we chat with a few of the many MakerBot Operators we ran into over the weekend. Thank you so much to everyone who joined in the fun! Keep it awesome!

The MakerBot 3D design team is building a Robot Petting Zoo to bring to this year’s Maker Faire. In this video you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how they conceptualized, designed and created these amazing DIY robots! To see the robots in full-effect meet us at Maker Faire Bay Area on May 19th and 20th, 2012. Hope to see you there!

MakerBot something for the mothers in your life! (or at least send them this video).

 

Did you all catch the adorable R.Maker Adventure at the end of S02E10?

Don’t let the week end without subscribing on YouTube or iTunes to MakerBot TV!

 

So you all saw Andrew’s blog post last week about our visit with TEDx celebrity Thomas Suarez, right? Thomas spent a fun-filled, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory style day getting a tour of MakerBot’s BotFarm and BotCave with Bre. After he and Bre were done having lunch together Thomas joined me in the MBTV studio for a quick chat. He told me all about his beloved MakerBot Replicator and gave me a peek at how the future looks from the eyes of a 12-year-old. Today’s episode ends with another wonderful Spring-themed R.Maker Adventure – so be sure to stay tuned for that too.

Ever wondered why the surface of a MakerBotted object has tiny ridges on it? Ever wondered how to smooth those ridges out? Find out how what techniques we’re trying on this week’s episode of MakerBot TV! Make sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube or iTunes.

Today we’ll meet with MakerBot operator and Broadway set designer Kacie Hultgren. Kacie has made a number of incredible contributions to Thingiverse under the user name PrettySmallThings including her well-known Queen Anne Chairs, the oversized armchair, her SciFi Control Room and whole array of beautiful and delicate tiny pieces of furniture. Find out what she’s doing with all of her prints and why she considers the MakerBot an ideal tool for someone who uses their apartment as a workspace.

Kacie will be doing some guest blogging for us in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes on our blog for some really helpful insights into her process!

One of the questions I hear a lot when I am out at events – showing MakerBots to people who have never seen them before – is, “What is the cost of materials for a MakerBotted object?” Sure, filament is inexpensive, but how much filament are you using when you print? In this episode I’ll show you exactly how to calculate that cost. I’ll also reveal the number of chess pieces that can be printed with a single spool and the cost of MakerBot plastic by cm³ and inch³. All that and more on this week’s episode of MakerBot TV.

In this episode we’ll meet MakerBot operator Steve Conine – known to Thingiverse as sconine. Steve is most famous for designing Thingiverse’s Mechanical Animals, Toy Train Sets, Log Cabins and Starfish. Check out some of the many toys that he has designed and printed with his children and find out why he decided to bring a MakerBot into the family.

Another Monday, another episode!

Today on MakerBot TV I’ll show you some of the ways that folks have personalized, customized and accessorized their MakerBots and hopefully get you inspired to turn your MakerBot into your very own work of art!