Shaping Your Future: 3D Printing and Augmented Reality

Primary school visit to IMR Lab

Funded through Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Discover Programme 2018

‘Shaping Your Future’ was a year-long joint pilot project between Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and I-Form, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in 2019, funded through SFI’s Discover programme, in which students created a new device using 3D printing.

Idea

The ‘Shaping Your Future’ project offered primary and second-level students and teachers a hands-on experience with additive manufacturing technology, and thus gain an appreciation for its excitement and potential.

Aim

Shaping Your Future aimed to increase the general public’s engagement with STEM by bringing 3D printing to primary and postprimary classes and welcoming them to IMR’s lab for hands-on learning experiences and interaction with researchers.

Primary schools participated in a workshop where students learned the basics of 3D modelling and 3D printing. Post-primary students were issued with a societal challenge: design and 3D print a device to help a person with a disability or to provide humanitarian aid in a disaster zone.

The results of the programme showed that students had an increased understanding of engineering and manufacturing and now see these careers as a means to solve problems and improve people’s lives. The hands-on aspect of the programme was the most valued, and teachers said the provision of a piece of infrastructure was a key motivator for taking part in the programme.

3D Printing Challenge winners – Keyzy from Loreto College Mullingar

Outputs

104 primary school students had an interactive visit to IMR and participated in a classroom workshop learning the basics of 3D modelling and 3D printing.
10 Engineering and Technology teachers took part in a day-long workshop on how to bring 3D printing to the classroom.
100 Transition Year (15-16 years old) students were issued with a challenge to design and 3D print an artefact that would help a person with disability, or would be of humanitarian aid in a disaster zone.