The Promise of 3D Printing – Disruptive Technology that Re-imagines the Future

What does 3D printing have to do with Java? Not much. Should I come and check it out anyway? Absolutely! It's always fun to see what else is on the horizon, and 3D printing, with everything that it enables, is certainly very hot these days. Think of this event as a break from your daily dose of Java :-)

Please note that this event is co-hosted by BASE (https://www.meetup.com/software/events/135929602/) (and is organized by Bruno Terkaly from Microsoft) so please RSVP only once. Attendance is first-come, first-serve, so show up early :-)

Almost overnight, garage tinkerers and back-room hobbyists are beginning to produce objects that makes Star Trek a reality show.

Over the past few years, a “perfect storm” of converging technologies has been brewing, rapidly opening up a lot of potential new applications. Manufacturers can provide you with a template where you can print a broken part of a machinery, let’s say, a screw, rather than order then wait for a replacement to come in. Imagine building a model replica of an expensive car, like a 1960 Aston Martin DB5 in a 1:3 scale then crash and burn it for entertainment, like how the makers of the James Bond flick, Skyfall did.

Build everything from sterling silver jewelry to the world's tiniest Rubik's cube. Some companies are connecting the latest neuro technological equipment- like brain-computer interfaces- with 3D printing technology, creating software that makes it possible for someone wearing an electroencephalography (EEG) headset to picture an object in his or her mind and have that object printed in 3D. Surgeons can also plan a surgery on a printed model before the real patient goes under the knife.

Operating systems like Windows have built-in support for 3D printing. Startups are going to enable wireless 3D printing from Android and iOS devices.

In San Francisco, we live in a technological Garden of Eden. We are assembling a cast of amazing speakers that will give you insight about the opportunities in this brave new world – a world where the reality of making something is just a mouse click away.

Here is the list of talks for the evening:

3D Printing – Robots That Can Make Robots by Ted Larson

3D Printing is quickly taking off as the preferred method for rapid prototyping of new products, and is turning DIY individuals into the next generation of product designers. This talk will give the audience an overview of the various printing technologies, all the way from the insanely expensive, down to the cheapest hobby printers on the market. There will be lots of 3D print samples to see, and I will even bring along a heavily modified hobby-grade 3D printer to make some plastic parts live!

Desktop Electronics Manufacturing by Jeff McAlvay

Desktop manufacturing makes iteration fast and accessible for designers designers and engineers. The transition from punch-card driven mainframe to personal computers revolutionized software development. The transition we're beginning to see from machine shops to 3D printers is revolutionizing mechanical design. We are working on bringing this same capability to electronics. I will discuss how I went from being an observer to the 3D printing movement to an entrepreneur as well as discussing our vision for the future of electronics manufacturing.

Food and drinks will be provided by our sponsors.

About Ted Larson

Ted Larson is a computer software and electronics expert with 25+ years of experience designing and building commercial software applications. Ted is currently the CEO of OLogic, an embedded electronics research and design firm. Prior to OLogic, Ted founded an internet software company called the Urbanite Network, a web server content publishing platform for media customers, grew the company to over 70 employees, and raised over $10 million in private equity and venture capital. Prior to Urbanite, Ted held positions at Hewlett-Packard, Iomega, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Ted has both a BS and MS in computer science from Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo.

OLogic is an embedded systems R&D company with a focus on robotic applications, and bringing robotic technologies to life in toys, and consumer electronics. Through cutting edge OEM technologies, and service, OLogic brings client products to market quicker and at lower cost than in-house development. OLogic is currently working with clients across a wide-spectrum of application domains such as, consumer electronics, toys, medical products, defense, and education.

About Jeff McAlvay

Previously, Jeff worked in industrial supply company McMaster-Carr's leadership development program. There, his roles included warehouse operations design, sales, and product management. He currently runs the Bay Area Factory Tours Meetup group, and coordinates office hours that connect hardware startups with industry experts.