I’m always looking for 3D printing projects that I can use directly with friends, family or clients. It’s important to showcase the diverse range of applications that technology has, especially for people who are unfamiliar with 3D printing. Over at MAKE, Cameron Mira posted a relatively simple, fun, and flexible LED puzzle game and I decided to not only give the project a try, but also to apply it to as many real life situations as I could throughout the week.
The project doesn’t require much in the way of skill or materials to get started. Initially, all that’s needed are some LED lights in a variety of colors, a transparent box or bottle that closes, and a couple of 3 volt batteries. The mechanics of the puzzle game itself are pretty straightforward. Place the LEDs along with the batteries in a the box, close the box, and then move the box around until one of the LEDs light up, as a result of hitting the batteries. It’s that simple.
From here, there are tons of options. One option, as Mira suggests, is to make a game in which you place different numbers of LED’s in the box and assign a certain number of points to each one. You might, for example place 1 red (20 points), 2 blue (15 points), 3 green (10 points) and 4 yellow (5 points) inside, with each box-shake earning a number of points depending on what LEDs light up. You can play with the number of lights and the point system, but it’s a pretty simple and surprisingly fun game, especially if you have kids.
Obviously, as Mira also suggests, this is a great opportunity to use your 3D printer to create a custom box using transparent filament and I have been sitting on a spool of transparent filament that I’ve been waiting to try out. So, I headed over to RadioShack, purchased some LED lights and some batteries and loaded up my modeling software.
Step 1- The Design
I love Batman and decided to model the box after the Batman symbol from the upcoming Batman v Superman movie. The size of the symbol was perfect for this project, as its thickness allowed for a wider area. Modeling it in MOI (Moment of Inspiration) was easy enough. And, during the slicing process, I took Mira’s advice and tried a honeycomb infill for one of the sides.
Step 2- Printing
I have a spool of transparent(ish) filament that I have been waiting to use and this was a perfect opportunity to try it out. This part was somewhat frustrating, as the filament wasn’t playing nice and kept snapping mid-print. After quite a few false starts and failed prints, I was finally able to get a solid print and the result was very nice.
Step 3- Application
As I mentioned earlier, this LED box has a wide variety of games that can be played. I decided that for the week, I would use it for two purposes. One was for family conflict resolution. Any time there was an argument, in which a decision needed to be made, I brought out the Batman Signal and each party would have to compete to resolve the conflict. The second purpose is related to my other career as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Basically, I would use the box to determine what exercise my client or class would do next (as you can see below).
Needless to say, I’ve been having a ton of fun, maybe too much, using this LED box to make decisions for me. This is a great project for anyone with a 3D Printer, some modeling skills and a little time. Even if you don’t have modeling skills, you can use any bottle or download the version that Mira designed. You can find out more about the project, detailed instructions as well as a link to the file over at MAKE.
