makeSEA for Education provides a safe, secure environment for students to collaborate and iterate on 3D designs and projects. Our SaaS platform also offers a way to get started with Augmented Reality, converting your files automatically for use in the 3D visualization space.

Augmented Reality, visual reality, mixed reality, spatial computing, and now XR—whatever term you use to define the new technologies, it’s no secret they are changing the way students learn and interact in the classroom. Nowhere is this as evident as at the advanced technical or college level where disciplines including Architecture, Health Sciences, Engineering, and Additive Manufacturing, are incorporating the new tech into their curriculums. If the curriculum also includes 3D design and printing, students are prepped to face the job market confidently.

What I’m pointing out below is an over-simplified list of what today’s students will contend with in the future. If 3D design/printing and Augmented Reality aren’t already a part of a curriculum, they will be soon enough.

Let’s start with Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). In the past an architect or engineer has been mired in paper-based  processes to bring the project stakeholders to the right decisions. With the introduction of 3D printing and AR visualization, students are being prepped to present clients with a 3D printed model of the project and then with the use of AR, walk the client through the future space so everyone gets a stake in refining the build.

Complex projects, such as a hospital or sports complex, are already benefiting from advanced design and visualization as clients engage with the architects and engineers to discover issues that could effect the future build. Issues such as space planning, placement of infrastructure and even the placement of the proposed build on a site can be addressed with visualization through AR and the use of 3D models. Students can study and analyze at scale, models of their designs in real-world environments. Visualization saves time and costly mistakes. This is the future of architecture and engineering and students familiar with the new technologies upon graduation have a leg up on the competition.

Many institutions of higher learning now offer Additive Manufacturing as a discipline. 3D design, 3D printing and AR are integral parts of this curriculum. As an example, 3D design and 3D printing are being used for prototyping of product line design and AR is being used as a tool to visualize those product changes in real time. With the use of AR, team members can collaborate on product design and make changes on-the-fly, regardless of their location.

Nowhere has AR and 3D printing had such an impact as it does in the study of health sciences (dental, nursing, pre-med). In the dental sector it is being used everyday to visualize, design and print 3D implants and dentures at a much lower cost than ever before. Large dental practices are employing the technologies of both 3D design and AR to produce bridges, implants, dental plates and corrective devices for patients in office, cutting down on time and costs to service patients.

AR is being used in Dr.’s offices, clinics and hospitals to provide explanations of new therapies to patients in real world environments. And Prosthetics are being designed, tested and produced for patients—everything from robotic hands to artificial limbs, ears, and even internal organs—using 3D design techniques and AR for visualization and fit.

Today's graduates will be better prepared for tomorrow's workplace if they are familiar with the new technologies already being used in many industries.

If you’d like to see how makeSEA for Education can enhance your curriculum feel free to reach out to us for a free demo or trial. Call 800-803-1050 or Contact Us today.

If you are reading this, you probably don’t need to be persuaded that 3D printing is changing the world in many ways. Its effect on manufacturing, shipping, inventory, and really the world economy as a whole is greater than we can imagine; not to mention the social and humanitarian good it can do by making medical devices and basic life serving technology and goods available more quickly and at a much lower cost.

3D printing provides a much more efficient way to prototype and produce goods when compared to traditional manufacturing methods that can be slow to develop and tend to create a lot of waste product. In the chain of processes that deliver the final goods, there is 3D printing’s significant effect on prototyping.

3D printing technology (also known as additive manufacturing) was introduced in the 1980s, and until very recently, the technology has remained out of the hands of most individuals unless they had access to an industrial machine. That means, unless you were a lead engineer at a large manufacturer, you probably would never print a prototype of anything, let alone some idea or concept you were curious about. The availability of 3D print technology to consumers has changed that. Opportunities for invention, exploration and creativity that spring from 3D print technology are leading to out-of-the-box trials and prototypes that were previously cost-prohibitive. These same opportunities can, and in many cases are, being used in the classroom.

3D printing in education is vital for today’s students who will enter a job market that values different skills not fostered in previous generations. 3D Printing can be used to teach strategies that will develop future in-demand skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Not only will 3D printing help develop these skills, it also promotes creative (including artistic) and analytical thinking.

3D printing is unleashing conceptual designs from the minds of students, amatuers, professional 3D designers and engineers worldwide. And that is a good thing. It allows for trial and error and ultimately success. As was the case when Christoph first set out to 3D print a brushless motor. V0 failed, a failure that couldn’t be predicted from the CAD modeling alone. Printing and testing the model was something that couldn’t have been easily accomplished at home in years past. With the help of his 3D printer, Christoph was able to print, test and ultimately create a fully workable brushless motor, and has since gone on to create so many other amazing pieces.

For a great list of ways 3D printing is changing the world - 175 ways to be exact - visit 3dforged.com/3d-printing and read their comprehensive article. Good read!

So, cheers to 3D printing and those adventurous enough to try their hand at it!

We are competing for the Capgemini Innovators Race 50 grant award to help fund our 3D printing initiative in education.

This funding will help pay for courseware, materials, and printers for students in public schools. We are currently doing a pilot project with 150 high school students split into 30 five-person teams, using makeSEA to collaborate on a build of the motor/generator and study of electricity over a 10 week period. We want to expand this program to many more students and classrooms, and this funding is key.

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