3 ms·

I'll add another data point to this. While working for Thalmic Labs (of the MYO fame) last semester, one of the best purchases decision was to buy a 3D printer.

I'll add another data point to this. While working for Thalmic Labs (of the MYO fame) last semester, one of the best purchases decision was to buy a 3D printer. We were able to find a big, cupboard size professional 3D printer for a great price, and we bought it. It ended up being invaluable for prototyping the design of the product. The difference between the first prototype, and what the final product is going to look like is incredible. In addition to simply prototyping, it also greatly helped in demos and testing, as we essentially had a prototype that for all intents and purposes looked fully ready at every demo, which definitely helped with testing the different sensor design, and form factor designs and getting valuable feedback from it.

jonemo 13y ago
I wholeheartedly agree: For any organization developing hardware, a 3D printer is a productivity and creativity boost that is hard to replicate otherwise. We have a quarter million dollar 3D printer at my work (a research lab) and getting used to having access to such a tool is an amazing journey. First you just print the same designs that you would have machined otherwise. But soon you end up embracing the possibilities and design things that would be extremely difficult or even impossible to create otherwise. Of course you get spoilt quickly and start complaining about issues like the fact that using the rubber-like material requires a 90 minute material change procedure.