DIY 3D Printing: geodesic

Sep 26, 2013

Construction of bamboo geodesic dome with 3d printed connectors

Assembly of a geodesic dome made with bamboo and a 3D printer from colaborativa.
This is a timelapse video of the assembly of a geodesic dome made with bamboo and a RepRap 3D Printer. The prototype was assembled for the first time in Scarpia XII (http://scarpia2013.blogspot.com.es) on July, 2013. The experimental design is based on the work of Buckminster Fuller, domerama.com, effalo and Colaborativa's own designs and it is shared with a creative commons license.

3d printing is very useful for production of geodesic connectors and hubs. I think that there is still lot of space left for much more innovation and improvements (ie. connectors for square boards etc.) .

There are several deigns on Thingiverse:

http://www.thingiverse.com/search/page:1?q=geodesic&sa=

Here is another interesting project that connects 3d printing approach and geodesic structures by design software and building elements production:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/06/arcology-now-3d-printing-geodesic.html

If you are interested in geodesic construction, ~~http://www.domerama.com/~~ (not working anymore) is a good resource page. For a geodesic dome calculator check out:

http://www.desertdomes.com/domecalc.html

Jun 24, 2013

Arcology Now - 3D printing geodesic buildings

When Brian Kordesal contacted me over facebook in April to present his idea, I was not even sure it was 3D printing at first, but I was quickly convinced. Idea is ingenious and simple. Arcology Now buildings are already being constructed and used as opposed to 3D building technologies which are just "around corner". It is also human assisted 3D printing technology, where human operator is needed to assemble finalised components.
Since it is based on geodesic principles, it could be very scalable and produce some amazing structures.

From Arcology website:

Our first product is our Universal Constructor. It's a house printer. We design structures as simple surfaces in any 3D editor (Blender3D, Maya, 3DS Max....). Then our software compiles a structure to match the 3D surface our designer created.
The resulting structure is cut out using a CNC plasma tube cutter and a press to flatten the ends of the tubes. The software writes detailed instructions on how to bolt the whole structure together. A team of builders can frame a two story house in a day.
After the frame is up we shrink wrap it with industrial shrink wrap. We then run all the utilities on the outside of the shrinkwrap. We spray on closed cell polyurethane foam. This is a rigid insulating foam layer about six inches thick. We then apply stucco to the exterior shell. This seals it from the elements. Instant house in any shape!
The software already fits standard sized windows and door openings... it will actually make any sized/shaped opening you want. Our goal is to have it also designing all the interior walls and flooring soon. Imagine a bamboo plywood floor with a laser etch mural that covers your entire floor, then encased in clear epoxy.
That's our style. We use low cost materials, advanced software and robotics to make amazing, livable works of art... at affordable prices! It's Moore's law meets construction costs.