Sometimes it’s worth rolling through Thingiverse simply to see the ingenious prints and designs available for download by whim. Other times, the design is not only detailed and fascinating, it provides a wonderful tool for other arenas like the classroom. Curriculum’s Mars Rover, published July 29, 2014, applies to both qualifications with stunning detail from MakerBot’s Design Studio. Initially designed for a deep bed with the finalized model set at 12 inches, the design can be modified for smaller beds. The rover replica is one of many designs establishing an expectation for quality and detail in design in a wave ushering in new waves in 3D printing.
As usual for Thingiverse, the design can be freely downloaded and modified. The entire print consists of 9 different prints that come as one object or a collection depending on size and need. The list includes the following: rover arm, rover body pegs, the full wheel assembly, treads, hubs, rover body right and left, MMRTG parts, and chem cam parts. The design includes drawings for fastening the rover together. Even though the instructions provide a concise and simple assembly process, the final result certainly impresses at first glance and holds up under close inspection.
In the description, the Mars Rover print is proposed as a fun learning tool and activity for school. After admiring the detail from the tubes to the ribbed wheels, it would be an enticing project based on aesthetics alone, but with such a meticulous design, students would have a better idea of the actual function and application of the rover on various terrains. Successful 3D prints have already been posted and the design appears readymade for portraits on table tops and mountainous regions as if exploring or to be explored on its own as a fascinating 3D print.
