Inspiration
We were inspired after watching a talk from Amel Kaboul, a world leader in education and CEO of The Education Outcomes Fund. After investing in the development in her home country Tunisia, she explained "The most important infrastructure we have is minds. Educated minds." Unfortunately, according to a 2016 report from the Education Commission, we are currently facing a "learning crisis". Many children aren't in school, and those that are are failing to learn. The Education Commission states that "if current trends continue, by 2030 less than 10 percent of young people in low-income countries will be on track to gain basic secondary level skills.”
What it does
We wanted to provide students in developing countries with access to hands-on educational tools. Thus, we are providing them with an affordable 3D printer pre-installed with materials for all grade levels that can be easily used by anyone.
How we built it
We modified the affordable Geeetech A10m printer to make it seamless to use by anyone by creating an automatic leveling feature and a simplified, automated user interface.
Challenges we ran into
Our biggest challenge was the lack of available hardware and lack of documentation on the 3D printer frameware.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We completed the tasks we set out to do, stepping outside of the range where most hobbyists go to create something truly unique.
What we learned
I learned how to navigate Marlin firmware, how to use an Arduino, GCode, and advanced C++. Adrian learned how to customize machine code, data analysis from sensor, motion control in a servo, and advanced Arduino techniques.
What's next for 3D for Education
We want to see our project become something bigger with more time and some funding. Adrian is exploring taking our project to Venture Lab so we can gain the funding to make it a reality.
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