I decided to start this blog to document the progress of my thesis. It's also an easy way for friends and family to keep up with what I'm doing. For those of you not familiar with 3D printing, read on and it will start to make sense.
To start, this is directly from my thesis paper:
THESIS STATEMENT
The goal of this project is
to design, model and 3D print a highly-detailed, underwater vehicle patterned
after an octopus. The final presentation
will be a fully articulated, 3D printed model, using various materials.
SYNOPSIS
Deep beneath the waves, a
barnacle-covered shipwreck sits on the ocean floor. A spotlight cuts through the murk as a metal
tentacle appears and pries off a rusted door. Another tentacle slithers through
the opening; emerging with a corroded safe.
The treasure is pulled back toward the source of light; a giant octopus
vehicle. Crew members man the controls
behind giant eye-like cockpit windows. A
claw emerges from underneath and pulls the safe up inside the vehicle and the
ocotpod shoots toward the ocean surface.
The project will involve
designing and modeling an underwater salvage vehicle based on an octopus. The final presentation will be a physical
model, including a display stand, produced on a 3D printer.
Inspiration for the vehicle
design comes from World War II and Cold War era design esthetic, as well as
references such as the Nautilus submarine from the 1954 Disney movie, 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea. The model
will be very mechanical, with hoses, pipes, dials, rivets, cooling fins,
etc.
