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Adopt-A-Bot community school program

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by danzca6, Aug 15, 2017.

  1. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Not sure if others have seen the great program that Printrbot is starting in hopes that others in the community will run with it. It's called the Adopt-A-Bot program and it is all in efforts to support your local schools and get 3d printers into the classrooms for kids to learn. Currently Brook is supplying basic kits using up cycled/refurbished/extra stock, for essentially the cost of shipping and a bit of the cost for parts, where the buyer will need to print parts to complete, put together the printer, troubleshoot and get ready for a classroom. Then it is to be donated to a local school in your area where you can also help educate the staff on how to use it. Maybe even help with showing the kids what can be done with it.

    Now I know it sounds like a lot of work on our part, but think about it. Most of us have been using 3d printers for some time now and we can take the skills we acquired and help pave the way for this technology to get into the classrooms of local kids to learn as well. I bought one to build with my son and to donate to one of our local schools. I encourage you to think about it and hope you will consider getting involved. I can't even imagine where I would be if I had this technology to bring my ideas to life when I was a kid. I'm excited about it and just wanted to pass along the word.

    Phase 2 purchase:
    https://printrbot.com/shop/adopt-a-bot/

    More about the project:
    http://printrbot.com/adoptabot/

    I know this is Printrbot and not Robo, but I really hope more 3d printer manufacturers look at their extra supply shelves and think about joining this program. Brook encourages others to donate supplies and join him. Really is a community initiative.
     
    #1 danzca6, Aug 15, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2017
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  2. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    So... what's to stop the inevitable cheapskate that buys the kit and just keeps it after building it?
     
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  3. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Honesty. There will be people that take advantage but hopefully the good people outnumber the bad. I'm involved in it as well. Starting with one bot on their phase 2 (current phase) and will take as many as allowed by Printrbot for Phase 3. Lots of schools in our area and it doesn't take much to get older machines running well.

    @danzca6 I agree that I hope Robo and other companies get involved as well. :D
     
  4. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    With only 50 kits there aren't going to be many opportunities depending on how well they promote the program.
     
  5. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    50 kits is 50 schools :D Thats a pretty big impact (and loss) by Printrbot. I respect what he is doing and thrilled about it. Can you imagine how many "defective" Robos are likely laying around that could be revived and donated? :D Insanity. And I'm sure most OEM are the same way. Old machine gets returned and goes to cold storage somewhere. Great way to get machines into schools.
     
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  6. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    But, if they publish the STLs for the printable parts, the rest is commodity hardware. You could buy it anywhere to complete the kit and probably for not much more than the $40.
     
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  7. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    Eh, what the hell. I'll be out of work recovering from surgery for about a month starting next week, if it arrives toward the end of that I can print the required parts and put it together and get in touch with an old classmate at the high school I went to and see about getting it added to the computer lab.
     
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  8. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Atta boy @daniel871 ! I'm sure they will be thrilled !

    @mark tomlinson I think you are correct and I believe he is posting the files openly. (he is also going to sell "bare bones" kits for those with old machines that want to convert into printrbots lol) So you'd be reusing the motors, controller, hotend and building up a printrbot lol! I bet i have enough parts laying around to do 5 or 10 of them lol.
     
  9. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    If they're basically including everything but the printed parts, then the printable parts are here: https://www.youmagine.com/printrbot/collections/smalls-kit

    If there are other bits and pieces missing other than what you'd normally have to deal with in a kit then it may be a bit more challenging.
     
  10. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    I am going to go by the local HS and have a conversation. For a small price you can get a BangGood special kit and use that for an assembly class. Then as long as they commit to having some curriculum around it after it is assembled -- I call that a good investment of time (the money part is trivial, but the time investment is not).
     
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  11. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    The local school here didn't want a kit :D They perferred a machine so they could focus on the design portion after some time of "here is the mechanic and how it works" I'll be interested to hear what they think of the kit idea!
     
  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Well, really that makes sense.
    The kit is a one-time assembly learning opportunity so it make more sense to focus on the other aspects.

    Even if I assemble the kit myself and hand it over I would want the same commitment on their part :)
    Again not because the kit is expensive, but my time is :) plus you want to know it is not getting tossed on a shelf.
     
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  13. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah he really is trying to start the fire in hopes that others spread the flame. I know I have extra parts to make at least 1 or 2 extra printers. Others, I hope, will start their own community drives and collect parts and such to be able to keep this going. Having other companies getting involved will be awesome as well. These won't be high end printers, but enough to hopefully get libraries and schools started with a curriculum.

    @daniel871 glad to hear you joined in. Between @Geof, you and I we hopefully can get these up and running. This is great!
     
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  14. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Well looks like the 50 available units from phase 2 of adopt-a-bot has been sold. Brook is hoping to be shipping the end of the month. Phase 3 is a push to start a nonprofit organization to continue the campaign autonomous from Printrbot. Brook spells out his vision for phase 3 in more detail in his live stream he did last Thursday.

     
    #14 danzca6, Aug 17, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2017
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  15. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Cool. I am waiting to have a conversation with a local HS later this week or early next.
    If they are willing to work with us I'll fund them an Anet® A8 kit and the time to assist them in learning it.
     
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  16. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    That's awesome Mark. I'm not sure why some are struggling with the idea of picking up the phone and starting a conversation with their local schools. Some think because they aren't from the area or don't have kids in school it is this scary thing. From my experience, schools are hungry for help from the community. So this is great that you are taking that step. I have also heard folks talk about supplying filament for those schools that already have a 3d printer. I think that is great as well. Every bit helps.

    Doing what you are doing shows that adopt-a-bot is bigger than just the what Brook is doing to get things started. It is about community involvement no matter where, how big, how small, or under what umbrella.
     
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  17. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    Some folks (and there is probably a higher trend of this among 3d printer hobbyists than other hobbies because it is admittedly a pretty fucking nerdy hobby) aren't on the best of terms with the staff at the schools they graduated from (if they still live in that community).

    I'm almost 20 years out from when I graduated and all of the asshole teachers/staff from back when I went to that school are dead now (they were all at/near retirement age then anyway), so that isn't a problem. People with bad memories of the people that worked there may not be so enthusiastic even if it is about helping the kids there.
     
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  18. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Meh lol. I wouldn't care about going back. Could care less about the teachers. If I had this tech as a kid holy cow. There would be alot cooler stuff laying around then what I've got now :D
     
  19. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Just an update. The other day I watched Brooks Facebook livestream from last Thursday and he talked about the progress of phase 2 of this project. Looks like he isn't including any of the smalls bot aluminum frame pieces with the exception of the print bed. The base might be a laser cut piece of wood and the rest will be printed. He is designing the printed variations of the parts to accommodate more strength and some other alternative parts he will be sending in the kit to reduce cost. Those files will be released soon, but he wants to make sure the parts print alright. Like I said, just an update. It will be interesting what all shows up next month when (if) shipped. I look forward to it.
     
  20. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Will be interesting for sure. lol. I thought the frame was coming in the box but I suppose its just a box of used components DIY the rest.
     

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