BY: River City News
(Photo by Cubify)
Students at Covington Catholic High School will be among the first to use the iSense 3D scanner that arrived just in time for the start of the school year.
In fact the manufacturer,Cubify, told instructor Craig Cleveland that he was one of the very first to receive this particular model. The 3D Scanner has only been on the market for a few weeks and was paid for by a donation from members of the Class of 1987.
Using this device, students will be able to scan objects using an iPad and then print them three-dimensionally on the Cubify 3D printer. Many industries now use this 3D technology: engineering, architecture, construction, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries (i.e. printing prosthetic limbs, artificial organs infused with living tissue, etc.), fashion, geographic information systems, the military (printing ammunition and parts in the field), and even dessert companies which print 3D treats with edible, printable chocolate!
Adding this to the curriculum speaks volumes as to CovCath'scommitment to offer their students the latest in modern technology, the school said in a news release.
Cleveland plans to incorporate the iSense 3D scanner and Cubify 3D printer in various classroom projects. For example, students in his Graphic Design II class will create custom game pieces for a Graphic Design board game project. As part of the Autocad class, students produce various construction and automotive parts and they will also create a 3D Cov Cathbobblehead statue.
"Autocad, Graphic Design, and Web Graphics classes will all get to use this this new technology, which will give them an advantage in their post-secondary studies and future job opportunities," Cleveland said in a news release. "A few years ago as the 3D printing buzz was just starting, I personally believed the new technology would start to revolutionize the manufacturing world, and it actually has. For example, companies are discovering that prototypes can now be created in-house, rather than being farmed out to someone else, and that is very exciting."
In addition to the 3-D Cubify printer and iSense 3D scanner, the technology lab features a state-of-the-art 23" Wacom Cintiq digital drawing tablet, the very same tablet that Pixar and Disney animators use. The user works with a digital Wacompen (in lieu of a mouse) and draws & designs directly on the rotatable screen. The lab also features several desktop Wacom6X9" digital tablets, which are also used for more natural drawing applications.