Sometimes there are stories about creation that are simultaneously inspiring and disheartening. 3D printing provides quite a few instances of this phenomenon, and a 17 year old gives yet another example. He has created an autonomous walking “robot” with the aid of 3D printing technology.
Taking advantage of the software available to him and pushing his own creative boundaries, the youngster created a fully functional walker. All of the parts come from 3D prints and the design is genius in its simplicity. The designer used a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer for the final project that took shape and moved independently.
What this print illuminates is the connection between this new technology, this medium, and the innovation possible even among the very young. Much like Mary Shelley’s invention of Frankenstein at the age of 19, this young boy created a functional walker with the simple manipulation of 3D printing technology. It is inspiring to see youth heavily involved and producing incredible designs, yet simultaneously disheartening knowing my own age and having not produced something so creative. Watching the result is fun and hopefully a spur to the imagination to find your own design and see what is possible.
Source: You Tube
