3D Printed Junior Challenge: AR/VR Movement

 

This is the companion post to the challenge involving movement from the end of last week, the first physical examples of which are posted on this blog here.

As we have stated a number of times on this blog we are essentially trying to run the entire output of our classroom this year off a single printer.   This produces a challenge for the teacher that the students cannot all physically have their prints produced at one go, and also need to test the viability of their prints and designs.   The way that we do this varies but chiefly we use the AR/VR Tinkercad App feature to project, rotate and size the designs.   When doing so it tends to be very obvious if there are any flaws in the students designs and they can also have fun with how they approach their prints thinking about innovative ways to display them or have them interacting with the environment.

In the example top left a attempt to produce a small dog toy has been oversized and placed on the ramp outside of the classroom.   In the second example shown left a design was placed under a running tap to create an illusion suggested by the running water.

In both instances the students came up with the concept and ideas independently (they are eight and nine year olds) and then projected the image in place with their iPads and used the Tinkercad app to do so.

There are a range of pictures that have been produced with this activity - we are going to take a wide selection of them and put them on the Facebook page that is associated with this blog.  You can locate that by clicking on the link here.

3D Printed Glow-In-the-dark Earrings

 

Challenge: For students to produce an original part of earrings.  

Background: This has been a staple design idea from our students - the size of the prints have meant that its something we've been able to produce in details with volume (such as a class set).  Its featured many times over the years from Market Day projects combining both the 3D Printers and the laser printing.

If you want to see a slideshow with an overview of the entire process and a summary of our projects related to this topic you can click on the link here.  In addition as always there is a search bar on the top right hand corner of the blog - this has the keywords for each of our posts or projects which include the keyword 'earring'.

The decision to print the earrings in glow-in-the-dark was made to pop the designs.   The student concentrated on a single design and then duplicated the design when it was completed.  

Resources uses to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, glow-in-the-dark, Bambu H2D.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - as always this task has elements that makes it appear somewhat simplistic but this is not always the case.  As this was tasked as students to be original the students needed to come up with an original idea that would work and have a high recognition factor - the ice cream idea certainly ticked those boxes for the student.   

Size: Each of the prints from this project measures 45mm across at the front and are 50mm high.   The print is 5mm wide.  The ice creams are 40mm in length height wise.   

Cost/Price: The pair of earrings used 18g of PLA to complete the print.  Using the calculations from Bambu Studios the print had a price point of $0.35 for the pair.

Timeframe: To complete this print the printer took 41 minutes to complete both.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: There are a couple of obvious issues with the prints as they stand.  You can see clearly the hole that is visible in the Tinkercad design (the first image) did not translate into an actual hole in the finished print (essentially it was too small and as a result did not register as part of the process).   The two shapes on the side by the ice cream are a little random and the student will evaluate how to wear them.   The print should be robust enough for a hole to be drilled through the design.

3D Printed Junior Challenge: Movement

Challenge: Students had to design a print that was practical (had a size limit of 100mm) and for success criteria had to have movement.
 

Background: This was given as a an open challenge to the students.  We used several examples of interlocking designs that are available online and gave the key criteria that the students designs had to have a moveable part.   The cogs that are shown in the design were sourced from the Tinkercad main interface.  When your students are on the design page there is a drop down search category of a range of items in the shapes library.   There is a range of items that you can bring instantly into your students design -  that are classed as 'hardware'.'   In this instance we wanted to allow the students to focus on the engineering challenge rather than the design.

If we had more time available potentially we could have had the students use a range of tools to develop these shapes as well as the backing and the other details, however our afternoon block where we allocate time in the classroom tends to be forty minutes or so, so our time is limited and this was produced as a prototype on the first attempt.

We found various online fidgets and wanted to look at ways to recreate this.   The print that was undertaken by the student was a first attempt - we felt that there was a large number of factors that needed to be addressed but the best way to do this was a physical version of the print.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Tinkercad Interface Design: hardware 'cog', Bambu H2D, Silver PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the challenge in this task is based on the engineering of the task.  The design and creation is going to be for the housing for the shape itself and it is anticipated that the student might adapt this design when moving forward.

Size: The print measures at present measures 95mm across at the front and is 105mm high.   The width of the print is currently 10mm.   At present the design features the three cogs however this is going to be adapted depending on the motion that can be achieved with it.

Cost/Price: The print as it stands (shown left in the photograph) uses 15g of PLA to complete the project.  This has a price point of $0.30c.

Timeframe: To complete the print the project took a total time of 45minutes.  There was no rafting or support required for this print.   It was printed as shown.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This print will require refining - the cogs at the moment in the design are somewhat loose.  They require some additional support or design to hold them in place or allow them to move with motion to complete the success criteria that was assigned to the students.

The student has also considered that it might be extremely effective to complete this print using different coloured PLA as that would have a striking overall affect with the design.

3D Printing at the NZAIMS Games

 

Our wonderful rural school is attending the NZAIMS Games in Tauranga later this term competing in Girls Basketball.   As such we are competing as part of over 450 schools and 14,000 students.  One of the things is that we like to highlight something different about our school.

Regular visitors to this blog will potentially remember that this badge can out as a 'stock filler' item for our 2026 Market Day.

This item is a small item that we will be giving to the teams that we will be playing against as a thank you for the opportunity.  This item printed in super 'glow-in-the-dark' filament.   This print uses 12g of PLA to complete the print.   It took thirty five minutes to complete (including the warm up time of six minutes).   It has a price point as determined by the Bambu Studio Labs is $0.24c.

We have also been working on the 'sports trophy' design that we detailed in yesterdays blog post.   We have completed the first print using again the glow-in-the-dark filament.

The photograph shown left is an example of the details that are possible using the Bambu H2D.  The name at the front is 5mm or so in height.  The student has also decided to have the font go all the way through the design as shown in the top part of the design.

This could benefit from having the font more evenly spaced out to include a second line.  In the 3D Print design on Tinkercad the font is visible although small and it is a good example of a short term print illustrating what adjustments need to be made following a review of the print by the student who is working on the project.  In this instance as well as it is essentially a commission project he has been able to speak with the person who requested the design and receive feedback about how it is progressing and what changes need to be made.

3D Printed Prize Giving Awards: Progression

 

Challenge: To produce personalised trophies for a local sports club prize giving by having them designed by a student.

Background: There are a number of elements at work here.   We have previously blogged about the trophies that students have been working on based on an initial design from the Tinkercad main interface page.   We had students create the basic shape and then modify them by placing names or information into the design - you can view that blog post here.

The version of this design however that caused this project to be actioned was a slightly smaller version of the sellotape holder that was also featured as a blog post.  This physical copy was shown around to a number of staff and one of whom made a request to a student from the class - for there to be customised designs for the local sports team.

The sellotape trophy hybrid is shown left.  This has manner of the features explained in the posts.   This print currently measures 80mm across is 80mm high and has a diameter of 90mm.  With these dimensions and details the print had a print time of one hour and fifty eight minutes.   The print used 51g of PLA and had a price point of $1.01.

By producing a master copy of this print the student needs to only replace the name plate at the bottom for each person (and also put the name of the team on the outside of the cup).   There are going to be an experiment with doing this with the glow-in-the dark filament for a novelty affect which might slightly increase the price point.

After this was completed the first of the personalised designs was then taken and projected onto the school field it can be seen with Mt Taranaki in the background.

One student was able to complete the entire project including meeting the the person who wanted the designs created in under one hour and the only remaining part of the project will be to print the trophies.

Dance Dance Revoultion Expansion

 

Available to our students are all sorts of wonderful technology opportunities - one of our favourite resources which the students are able to use and is always popular is our full sized DDR (Dance Dance Revoultion) Step-Master machine.  This is a key resource at our school.  Not only did Mr Bloor make an amazing video and had an incredible project when it was made.  You can click on the link and see the creation of it here.

We have also had incredibly live-streamed competitions using this machine including our K-Pop Demon Hunters Special or our regular super challenge! 

This week there has been an incredibly exciting update - Mr Bloor has doubled the size of the machine! No longer is it just a two player battle now it has been increased to four!

You can see the additional pads in the photo on the left and they are already proving to be hugely popular with our students (who are able to dance at lunchtimes).   

You can see Mr Bloor has added something else to the machine as well - the bars at the back for even more crazy moves!

Don't forget this is not just an amazing piece of hardware for our students - we also create our own music videos which we then use in the competition where the students create, plan and then make their own music videos examples of which you can see by clicking on the link here.

We are so lucky to have Mr Bloor at Auroa Primary School as many of the projects that he works on at our school and with our students are 'passion projects' that he goes above and beyond the call of duty to work on.

3D Printed 'Eyes' Project

Challenge: For a junior school student to create a unique design and for the design to include a physical object to enhance its presentation.

Background: This design developed along with several from the classroom during this recent challenge.   The way that this design was created where the face was developed and made 'flat' was designed in a way that it became apparent that it would work well in conjunction with a physical object to enhance its presentation which in this case was the pair of eyes that the student selected to add to the face of the design.   

The basic design was completed by the eight year old without additional assistance from the teacher.

The student created this design from scratch and did not use anything other than the basic shapes that are available from the Tinkercad interface.

The eyes themselves came as part of a large pack that were purchased from a local chain store.  We have used them in the past such as with the cyclops design from 2025 which you can view by clicking on the link here.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Eyes from chain store, Bambu H2D, silver PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium there are some elements that the student could have refined however they worked well together and the eyes did add significantly to the details and the presentation of the piece.

Size: The print measured 60mm at the front is 70mm long and was 60mm wide.  The sides were generally between 10mm and 20mm wide.  While there was limited storage with this design it allowed the print to be manageable for both the size and the price.

Cost/Price: The unit used 49g of regular PLA to complete the task.  This has a price point of $1.00.

Timeframe: To complete the print the printer using the regulation default settings took two hours and twenty six minutes to complete the task.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students:  The student was happy with the design as they felt that it met the brief.   Some feedback was provided for the lettering which was a little bunched together as shown in the middle photograph.   The lettering could also have been adjusted.  Facially the student was happy but could have perhaps looked at some features that made it more dog like.