3D Printing takes on Robotics in Schools

It has been years since robots have become a household name for performing any mechanised task. Robotics is a very diverse field that holds enormous potential for creating the future. Throughout history, we have assumed that robots will one day mimic human behaviour and manage tasks in a man-like fashion. Today, robotics is growing rapidly as technological advances continue; researching, designing new robots serve various practical purposes whether domestically, commercially, or militarily. However, roboticists today are busy exploring the wonders of 3D printing, with which they can design and print their own parts and shells with free design tools and increasingly affordable 3D printers.

What is the difference?

Robotics is broadly concerned with automated design and assembling of parts which can be created from scratch using 3D printing.Especially when it come schools,students are given standard parts which are assembled together and voila your robot is ready.But doesn’t it lack creativity and innovation?But with the help of 3D Printing,students start a step before assembling- Designing. With 3D Printing students get a chance to customise their robots by designing differently.This gives them chance to creatively  innovate  and  develop their own personalised robots.So by integrating 3D printing with robotics, the students are open to all kinds of possibilities. Also the availability of robot parts has always been a major concern, but not anymore! With easy and inexpensive 3D printing, we can design parts for any robot. Philip Walker, from Transcend Robotics, is an entrepreneur building a robot that can climb stairs. But he needed a durable non-marking tank tread, and when he could not find one; he successfully built his own, with a 3D printer. That is the power of 3D printing.

Which one is better?

Even though we cannot compare Robotics and 3D printing, still for a common person, 3D printing is of more use. Their daily life may require small objects or large equipment, everything can be feasibly 3D printed.Not many people would need robots for their normal tasks, but a 3D printer can be a blessing for them. If it can print parts for a walking robot, just imagine how easily it can impact the life of a common man! 3D printing gives the power of creation, while robotics is an analysis and assembly of those created parts, better used in complex fields.

The inception of computers and related technologies like 3D printing and artificial intelligence will soon realize the goal of creation in manufacturing. Robotic 3D printing is no longer a futuristic thought, with companies like Stratasys, Arevo Labs and MXD3 leading the way. Today, there are 3D printers which can print an entire robot and also robots which can operate 3D printers. What’s more noteworthy is that 3D printing and robotics, together can create wonders which traditional manufacturing has never seen coming. The onset of an industrial digital revolution has been marked already and can be a part of India too, if our schools and colleges lay more emphasis on practical training through 3D printing. 3Dexter helps them with designing a suitable curriculum and provides them with the desired equipment to shape these dexterous young minds. They represent the country’s future and be it robotics or 3D printing, both are essential technologies which will never die. So, it will be better if students acquaint themselves with these and make robotic 3D printing feasible in India too.