3D printer! Servos! What next?

July 3, 2022 12:15 PM

I've been gifted a 3D printer, and think it would be fun to get some servos and make novelty robots / animatronics. I've found some tutorials, and it would be easy to just follow those, but I would love ideas for projects, because beyond this impulse I don't actually know what I want to make. What would you make with a 3D printer and servos that would be fun to have around or show off? The more useless or silly the robot, the better.
posted by LSK to Technology (4 answers total)

Best answer: I made a smart dog treat dispenser with 3d printed parts + a servo + a raspberry pi + homebridge, so I could give the dog cookies while I was away from home. (The dog loved this at first and then decided it was terrifying ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

I've been considering this pen plotter project recently too: https://test3dprints.com/arduino/homework-writing-machine/

The printer is also great for utilitarian household items -- custom brackets to hang all your networking hardware away in a closet, or mount a KVM switch to the bottom of your desk, coffeemaker drip tray that conforms exactly to the shape of the bottom of the device, etc. etc.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 1:12 PM on July 3, 2022

I'd say watch as much Tim Hunkin as you can first. His contraptions definitely inspire my silly side when I'm thinking of what to make next.
posted by pipeski at 4:46 PM on July 3, 2022 [2 favorites]

A Rubiks Cube solver?
posted by WhackyparseThis at 2:09 AM on July 5, 2022

I thought this was pretty cool.
https://www.brachiograph.art/tutorial/construct.html
posted by AugustusCrunch at 9:11 PM on July 5, 2022