A conductive thermoplastic can be used with low-cost, hobbyist 3D printers to produce complete, customized electronic devices, such as this computer game controller.
(Source: University of Warwick)
mrdon, that is great. You do a very good thing. I am not a teacher, but I tried to help some along. In fact I was once one that needed some teaching. I guess the only thing I did different than the ones I tried to help was I listened. Always be open to new ideas and ways of thinking. Being hard-headed will get you no where fast. Keep up the good work!
Teaching is very rewarding. To be able to give people hope through knowledge/skills training is the ultimate high. I walk in a classroom to reach one student but instead several of them appreciate the experiences I bring to the classroom. Man, what a great feeling to transform people's lives.
Ahan, this is really amazing printing wires and connecter through 3D printers will definitely be a breakthrough in the technology .After reading this post i can sence that time is not too far away when all the circuitry will be printed through 3D printers by the university students for there projects instead of spending hours on soldering and wiring.This is really very exciting.
mrdon, I kind of envy you in one way. You get to mold young minds. They have no preconceived ideas. When it comes to training in the work force, people come in thinking they "know it all". I have always been humble enough to know that every place is different and has a different way of doing things. I have taken on trainees that just refuse my help....they don't last long...lol It's really discouraging to see that. It is almost like they don't think I am trying to help them...I never did get it. I would see them struggling and try to help, and they would refuse. I was NEVER like that. That's the wrong way to be in my opinion. I think you learn where you can and you never stop learning. Some people seem to think they know it all, and they are the ones that fail.
mrdon, you did and then some. I appreciate it. People learn in different ways. I can just read a book, but some need another form. Well, that's why you're a teacher and I am not. I've trained in the work force, but never taught. I'll leave that to you guys. I bet it's very rewarding!
Cadman-LT, decision making will get even more complicated when third-party materials suppliers begin emerging, as Lux Research predicts is likely: http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1392&doc_id=262205
Cadman-LT, What I found out in teaching engineering and technology to students is basically some folks have the ability to see complex subjects (ie math), thereby grasping the subject matter with little effort. Then, there are folks who learn by rote method requiring constant practice of the subject matter using reading and self-quizzing techniques for material retention. Last, there are folks who learn by building (tactile) stuff for visualizing the solution to the problem.
Belief it or not, Common Sense is not common in our society. One of the key elements to teaching is to relate the subject to the students' personal experiences. The result of this engagement technique is to allow learning the material through self discovery facilitated by the educator. The challenge for an educator is being able to make a quick assessment of the students in the classroom and to engage them based on some of the learning modes mention. I teach 4-1/2 blocks of electronics engineering tech courses and believe me, its educational entertainment at its finest! Hope I answered your question.
mrdon, I was wondering something that maybe you can answer for me...being a teacher. Years ago I borrowed some books from a network engineer. Basically they were about policies and directories. Everything I read was stuff I knew....not from books...it's just the way I taught myself. It just made sense to do things that way. I just couldn't understand why someone would have to read a book to know this. So my question is, do some people seem to understand tech better than others? What I read...to me...was common sense...but they had to write these books for a reason. Maybe it's like math, some people just "get it" and some don't.
Ann, good point. My first deciding factor HAS to be material....go from there. Also, there used to be only a few manufacturers, but now everyone is getting in the market. I see that as a good thing though as prices are dropping.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
PTC will offer a virtual desktop environment for its Creo product design applications, potentially freeing engineers to run them from remote desktops on a variety of operating systems and mobile devices.
The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.
Now that solar and wind harvesting technologies are a thriving market, researchers are seeking other environmentally related energy sources for which they can create harvesting devices.
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