Aug 28, 2015 | By Simon
Thanks to 3D printing, a new generation of makers, hackers, tinkerers and the like have been able to take full-control of experiences and add levels of interactivity like never before.
Whether this comes in the form of creating a customized photo rig for a drone, or even a bionic hand such as those created by the organization Limbitless, 3D printing has dramatically changed the way that people “make things real”.
One of the most recent examples of 3D printing being put to great use to make an otherwise ‘nonexciting’ object ‘exciting’ comes from - of all things - a simple birthday cake.
With the goal of making his son’s dreams come true (like most good parents), Youtuber Russell Munro (AKA ‘Russellmunro’) and his wife recently went through the effort of creating a customized Transformers-themed transforming birthday cake starring none other than Optimus Prime himself.
While little details have been given, it’s clear from the video that there was certainly at least a few hours of deep thought put into creating a transforming cake that didn’t fall in on itself during the transforming motions.
To achieve this, Munro developed three separate 3D printed supports for the cake using an FDM 3D printer. Although the majority of the function comes from the actual gears, the 3D printed supports feature wings that are clearly designed for supporting the cake without compromising the performance or the experience - which also features an Optimus Prime voice over to boot.
Unsurprisingly, their son could barely contain his excitement - along with the rest of the kids and adults in attendance.
The project is yet another example of how the ‘Maker Generation’ and the tools that have come along with it are encouraging people to create their own experiences rather than depending on mass manufactured ones that are already designed for them - even if that mass manufactured product is made from flour, water, eggs and sugar.
Although Munro hasn’t uploaded any build instructions for those who may want to create a similar cake, it wouldn’t take much effort to round up a few different tutorials based on the features of the system (voice over, mechanical arm, etc) and combine them into a custom cake design.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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How to was made:http://russellmunro.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/transforming-birthday-cake-animated.html?m=1