24 — AM Supplement
Rippl3D is bridging the gap between the 3D printer
and the student by ofering teacher-friendly tools in
a Web-based environment that is easily accessible to
teachers, mentors and students. Tese tools, in conjunc-
tion with current and new curriculum ecosystems, assist
American students in learning STEM subjects with the
use of 3D modeling, 3D printing and electronic test
equipment in hands-on exercises. Ripple3D.com provides
design challenges that are optimized for any FFF 3D
printer. Te free Web-based CAD modeling tool allows
students to create hundreds of thousands of unique
solutions that can be printed in 15 minutes or less.
Te Rippl3D challenges utilize a variety of measure-
ment tools to provide students exposure to electronic
test equipment in a meaningful way. Currently,
Rippl3D.com ofers two versions of the Wind Turbine
Challenge. One version uses a tachometer to measure
revolutions per minute (rpm), and the second version
uses an electric motor driven by the custom-built
turbine blades to generate power. A multimeter is used
to measure the generated voltage. A third challenge, the
Hovercraft Challenge, tests the player's ability to design
the most efective thrusters to propel the hovercraft
down a straight track the fastest.
Rippl3D.com enables students to contribute their
ideas to the website and to compete in these challenges.
As results of each challenge are entered, students see
how their performance ranks with other players on the
leaderboard. Community gamifcation brings fun and
friendly competition into the Ripple3D educational
process. Tere are plans for three additional challenges:
Water Pump, Crash Test, and a 3Dponics Challenge that
looks to identify the most efcient venture siphon for
watering hydroponic gardens.
Rippl3D Web-based tools enable teachers to
support fipped classroom models where students
formulate solutions as homework and return to the
classroom to see and discuss their results. Rippl3D
provides meaningful experiences for students and
demonstrates how the use of digital manufacturing will
play a role in the future of making.
For more information, visit Rippl3d.com or contact
Bill Macy at bill.macy@rippl3d.com.