Pirate Congress 2012 Motions/Motion:3D Printer motions

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3D Printers

Motion: Accelerating 3D Printer Technology Research

Motion: Encouraging Tangible Object Creativity with 3D Printers

Pirate Party Australia wishes to embrace the emerging technology of creating tangible physical objects with 3D printers [1]. This amazing technology allows a person to create a guitars, motorcycles, planes, wrench or even print a car[2]. What's also impressive is that a person could send blueprints of their creations to anyone of any country in the world to print.

The technology exists to record 3D objects (eg Kinect) into 3D programs (eg Minecraft). Then it's a matter of printing objects from the virtual world. The only limits are the materials and imagination.

Yes, the 3D printing technology is new but making huge innovative changes. This can lead towards being the next trillion dollar industry [3] with printing toys, hats, pills, food and even bones. Reducing dependence on imports and creating many local jobs.

Join us in seeing the enormous possibilities if every child has access to it; we believe the government should fund a scheme to research into more finer 3D printers and give a 3D printer to every school in Australia. This would serve not only to encourage creativity in kids but also to train them to create future uses of 3D printing.

There is a hurdle of non-commercial copyright distribution being illegal, so we again demand the government to make non-commercial copyright distribution legal. Because otherwise, the school kids could become criminals in sharing what they learnt about their own favourite toys with other school kids.

It's really the future of making your own materials and products. We hope the Labor government joins us in advocating and paving the way for this exciting future!

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printer

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zmT8L-2Y0M [Stratasys 3D Printing Used to Develop Urbee Hybrid Car]

[3] http://www.businessinsider.com/3d-printing-2011-2?op=1

Note: Need to have motion to pass before PPAU sends out PR about adopting 3D printers as government policy.

Motion Workspace

Look to patent infringement section for more details on implications and talk in general that are not specifically related to 3D printers.

Rationale

"If this catches on, the new paradigm will be so transfiguring to the current economic environment, that chaos will ensue. Literal chaos. You think SOPA was going to end the internet, imagine when every manufacturing business on the planet gets together to protect their profits" [1]

By teaching and encouraging children to develop and make their own products, it would be harder for manufacturers to demand the government to step in to protect jobs and economy by sacrificing culture and freedom among other rights.

Biosynthesis machines is similar to 3D printers. It may be applicable for biology classes; eg a class growing their own skin grafts.

Aims:

  • Allocate funding for 3D printers, the materials and education costs. The allocation is determined by the government research agency, CSIRO, in how best to not only purchase the printer but also to secure materials and distribution methods.
    • It would be incredible if we got CSIRO's vocal support for introducing 3D printers to youth.
    • Need to approach 3D printer companies as they are likely to have marketing material and costs. anonymous could help.

Evidence of past school 3D printer introduction attempts:

Public knowledge newsletter 'It Will Be Awesome If We Don’t Screw It Up': http://www.publicknowledge.org/files/docs/3DPrintingPaperPublicKnowledge.pdf

Interview with anonymous

on successes, failures and hindsight:

<anonymous> Hindsight: whoever started the trial was a moron. they decided not to target the design/technology classes initially, but decided that the special education students with severe mental and physical disabilities would be good targets for teaching computer aided design, mathematics and drawing.

<anonymous> Most teachers decided this was a fucking stupid idea and gave he opportunity to design students instead, after a month or two of trying to teach the special ed students how to use a mouse and keyboard.

<anonymous> Success - we all got little 3d keychains after a while, gave an insight on how 3d printing processes worked and the limitations of the technology.

<anonymous> Failure - the company mandated the use of a proprietary software package which 1) was costly to purchase 2)very difficult to use even for students at selective schools 3)they provided very little training/resources for teachers.

<anonymous> I think they went bankrupt eventually, I can not for the life of me remember their name.

RepRap with IP

What do you know about RepRap printers and/or implications with the current IP climate? (I'm adding the interview notes to 3D printers by the way.)

<anonymous> I haven't played with one personally but in my opinion, they're more of a hobbyist toy.

<Joakal> They're more of a hobbyist toy because the technology isn't there yet?

<anonymous> Mainly quality and technical limitations which can't be overcome in the typical home.

<anonymous> I wonder if there's any company out there selling CAD models.

<Joakal> Isn't the TPB offering CAD models lately?

<anonymous> I know a few firms sell designs that people can purchase for use in renders, etc (see 3d warehouse).

<anonymous> But I'm not sure anyone uses them for production; they're mostly for 3d renders for showing clients.

<Joakal> Do you think this metaphor is inherently flawed; 3D Printers are like computers in the last century; they are expensive and impractical in some aspects but overtime have become a household and even a handheld device.

<anonymous> The logic of the analogy is valid, (and I may be thinking too technical here) but there are physical limitations of 3d printing that can not be overcome.

<Joakal> Can you describe some?

<anonymous> I think it's not so much applicable to the end user, rather, companies in the future patenting 3d designs and the lawsuits that follow.

<anonymous> Some materials can not be printed - wood, some metals, silicone, fibres, some ceramics.

<anonymous> Economy of manufacturing scale will always be cheaper than printing at home.

<Joakal> Makes sense, however, can the 3D printers improve to the point that manufacturing at scale would be akin to supercomputers?

No response.

RepRap printer quality

<Joakal> anonymous, how good are reprap printers? I was thinking of reprap printers where schools are furthest apart from each other so they can build another and donate to the other schools nearby?

<anonymous> Joakal: Average print quality, not great. I think you're over estimating the capability of students.

<anonymous> Also remember, DT classes (or whatever they;re called in the respective states), they have 4 periods a week as 9/10 electives.

<Joakal> The machines are being given to industrial design section of the high school.

<Joakal> So they should have above-average knowledge of such machines.

<anonymous> Yes and no, most high schools are still manual. CNC is a dream they can't afford.

<anonymous> Also many teachers will need training - most D/T teachers I'm aware of were former panel beaters, craftsmen, tradies, etc.

<anonymous> Wood and metal.

<anonymous> Electronics is already a stretch.

RepRap potential

RepRap is essentially a 3D printer that can create more 3D printers of itself. More information can be found here:

Other

r/Auslaw discussion: What are the legal ramifications of copying an object and 3D Printing it? : auslaw https://pay.reddit.com/r/auslaw/comments/me88b/what_are_the_legal_remaifications_of_copying_an/

Use of metal (Aluminium) in 3D printers: http://www.ecocomposites.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10269%3Anew-additive-aluminium-composites&catid=3%3Anews-free&Itemid=2

Discussion

Nothing at this time.

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