University of North Georgia/ YouTube
UNG MakerBot Innovation Center
The lab space allows students to conceptualise, create and produce new projects and products with modern technology.
The University of North Georgia has become the latest US educational institute to open a MakerBot Innovation Center.
Forming a partnership with the 3D printing manufacturer, UNG has launched the learning and creation lab on its Dahlonega Campus, home to a number of engineering, arts and science courses.
The first MakerBot Innovation Center in the state of Georgia, UNG’s lab is the 15th of its kind in the whole of the United States. A space consisting of 3D printing machines and software, the lab space allows students to conceptualise, create and produce new projects and products with modern technology.
With 32 pieces of equipment and technology open to all majors and departments across the university, UNG foresee innovations being made, not only to advance university coursework in the short-term, but perhaps even the region in the longer-term.
“This lab will advance UNG’s mission to foster creative ideas and apply innovative thinking, and it will employ the latest in digital technology to help the university’s students and the region’s business and entrepreneurial community develop successful ventures from anywhere in the world,” said Dr Pamela Sachant, head of the Department of Visual Arts at UNG. “Students and faculty from across multiple disciplines and fields of study will be able to utilise the equipment in this lab, bringing to life in a tangible way business projects, visual art pieces, science experiments, and even physics assignments.”
Recently, a pair of UNG faculty members were involved with a project that relied heavily on 3D technology. Drs Jon Mehlferber, Department of Visual Arts, and Terrie Millard, Department of Physical Therapy, partnered on a grant proposal that used 3D printing to create low-cost assistive devices to aid disabled children in riding a bike.
Mehlferber and Millard included students on visual arts, biology and physics to oversee the design and construction of the devices, while physical therapy students gave insight and guidance on the types of objects to be produced. The success of this project led to further grants and the professors were joined by other faculty, staff and students to develop more devices, including a patent-pending saddle that allows disabled children to ride horses with minimal assistance.
“Designed to elevate learning and promote cross-departmental collaboration, the MakerBot Innovation Center helps give students access to real-world design and development,” said Lauren Goglick, general manager North America at MakerBot. “By bringing in a MakerBot Innovation Center and providing students access to 3D printing at an early stage, universities like UNG create an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration that spurs innovation and invention like never before.”
