Brian Yang is a senior with a double major in Biology and Economics and a minor in Chemistry. If that’s not enough, Brian also has recently taken up additional innovation projects — the biggest of which is building his own 3D printer. Brian received a commercial 3D printer as a gift.

Something in Brian was sparked, and a new passion was ignited. Brian began to learn more about 3D printers and the technology behind them, and was eventually inspired to create his own by the RepRap Project. The RepRap project — short for Replicating Rapid-prototyper — is an initiative to create low-cost 3D printers that can 3D print most of their own parts (You read that right. 3D printers are being made to 3D print more 3D printers.). It is now a global project with free designs and licenses for anyone to use.

When Brian realized that this was something he wanted to do, he knew that the Innovation Lab was the place to go. He designed all of the 3D printed parts of the robot himself using Autodesk Inventor, and went to the Innovation Lab to physically print as well as utilize other tools such as soldering irons, screwdrivers, pliers, and general help from the Innovation Consultants on how to execute the project and make sure it was unique.

Brian wanted to make his printer different than others already out there. He thought he could maybe do better. His printer is a parallel robot instead of the typical serial robots on the market. By using a different layout, he was able to both reduce the amount of frame and open up the print surface. The pros of these modifications are decreased costs and increased visualization. The disadvantage to this layout, Brian found, is that because the gantry is cantilevered, it is less stiff and can bend under the weight of the printer head. Brian hopes that experimenting with other designs will help others to think more innovatively when it comes to designing new types of 3D printers, and he hopes that his design will help to inspire others.

Brian is currently applying to medical schools and in the future wants to work as a doctor rather than an engineer. However, he recognizes that the fields are merging. “Biomedical engineering and bioengineering are creeping into medicine.” 3D printing organs is no longer a thing of the future. The world of technology is growing and expanding and Brian feels that, “Because of my work with 3D printing and iCREATE, I feel more prepared to deal with medicine in the 21st century.”