April 2013
The interpretation of
dreams is a great art. - Paracelsus
Where would we be without both imagination and experience? As inventors, we dream of a better world and
interpret our dreams as ideas that can make our world better. As innovators, we translate those ideas into products
and services that make the lives of our customers and investors better. Experience guides us in both roles. An inventor learns how to test and refine an
idea by building and experiencing a working prototype (model) of the idea. An innovator teaches initial customers and
investors how to benefit from the idea by helping them experience the prototype. Members of the Indiana Inventors Association
met to discuss how to create a memorable experience, for inventors and for
those they serve.
With 3D
printing (additive manufacturing), a copy machine instructed by a computer
program (digital design) makes a variety of things (art,
batteries,
body
parts, clothing, jewelry, machine parts, medical devices,
toys, etc.) from a variety of materials (ceramic, chocolate,
glass, human
cells, metal, plastic, resin, rubber, wood, etc.) quickly by progressively
depositing layers of material. Different
kinds
of 3D printing (e.g., selective laser sintering, fused depostion modeling, and stereolithograhpy)
build the layers in different ways. If
you think you might enjoy working with this technology, consider using an affordable
(from $397)
low-resolution printer (or build
your own), free or commercial software, and
free digital designs. Several online
printing services (Quickparts,
SolidConcepts, Tech, Inc, ) are also available.
eMachineShop is a
convenient online machine shop that quickly prepares custom-designed parts by a
variety of computer-controlled (CNC) methods (e.g., blanking, pressure die
casting, extrusion, laser cutting, milling, compression and injection molding, honing,
3D printing, turning, welding, etc.) and provides free, easy-to-use CAD
software for designing parts.
Several resources are available for building electronic features
of inventions. Companies like Digi-Key
and Mouser, and Radio Shack sell
inexpensive parts (e.g., meter boxes, printed circuit boards). Texas
Instruments sells a MSP430 microprocessor development kit for $4.30.
If you would like for a local company to build a prototype
for you, consider contacting Wes Bickers (wes@inarf.org; account executive for the
Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc.), who acts as a liaison
between state agencies and work centers providing products and services for
sale.