4 Things You Didn’t Know About Florida Tech’s 3D Printing Camp

3D printing is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation, and now anyone attending Florida Tech’s 3D printing summer camp can build and take a printer home with them. Here’s more information you might not know about this brand-new camp:

1. It’s one of the few 3D printing camps in the country.

Because 3D printing is a relatively new industry, camps, workshops or other learning opportunities are hard to come by. Luckily, Florida Tech has professionals who can help. Because of its rarity, students in the camp range from middle school to Ph.D. students. According to David Beavers, Florida Tech camp director, “I can’t imagine any area of engineering where 3D printers won’t somehow become a factor.”

2. The 3D printer, which will be created at camp, has been custom designed to be as versatile as possible.

Gbotz is partnering with Florida Tech to create a versatile printer that can work past imminent upgrades. Instead of purchasing a printer to have it become outdated in a matter of months, the Gbotz printer can transform by simply changing the head and materials. The whole idea behind Florida Tech’s 3D camp is to get the biggest bang for your buck by keeping the machine expandable and changeable. According to Beavers, basically anything that is printable can be printed on the special Gbotz 3D printer.

3. All students will take home a 3D printer and an Android tablet.

That’s right — not only will students receive a customized printer, but they’ll score a tablet as well! During the camp, students are scheduled to create the actual printer within the first three days. The rest of the week will be used to fine-tune the machine and create a design to print. Students will be able to create whatever they can conceive through the Android tablet provided. The following summer, there are plans to have a more advanced camp that can assist previous students in improving and enhancing their techniques. Students can come back to learn upgrades for their already-built printers and tablets.

4. All proceeds go back into the Florida Tech 3D Printing Lab.

None of the employees working in the summer camp get a salary from the camp itself. One hundred percent of camp fees go straight back into funding the lab for new materials so it can advance quickly and accommodate innovation in the field. Also, the lab is FREE of charge to all Florida Tech students and it’s open seven days a week. Now, that’s something other universities can be envious of. Year-long projects can be built in the lab. “Ideally, where we’re trying to go with this, is your junior project turns into your senior project which turns into your career,” Beavers said. Also, truthfully, who doesn’t like free stuff?

3D printing is advancing faster than ever, and what better way to make yourself stand out on a resume or college application than to have had experience creating a multi-functional 3D printer controlled by an Android tablet? Jump ahead of the curve with one of the only 3D printing camps in America.

by Purvi Pandit