project Showcase

Robot Film Prop

This robot film prop was made by Isabel Wiesner for her thesis film to be used in live action scenes with actors while a 3D modeled replica was used in other scenes. To make the robot, she 3D printed the gears, eyes, neck, hands, and antenna using the 3D model files. The neck was printed in TPU to add flexibility for the head to turn and the rest were printed in PLA then sanded and painted. The large parts or the robot like the head and body were cut out of foam and then plaster cast and painted and a matte finish was applied.

3d printed Stormtrooper armor

As part of an extensive project to make a 3D printed Stormtrooper costume, Nathan Ranei spent months printing, sanding, priming, filling, and painting to achieve this final look. He edited models made for CGI using Meshmixer to fix it to fit his body measurements and spent a lot of time rigging the suit with foam, straps, buckles and more. Nathan also added a fan in the helmet for cooling, a voice modulator, and hearing assistance module.

Escalette Collection signage

Student interns and staff at the Escalette Permanent Art Collection on campus frequently use the DCI Lab to create signage and labels for the art pieces on the Roland Vinyl Printer Cutter. In the summer of 2025, student interns Bella Marinos (Psychology and Studio Art '24) and Cassie Chan (Art History '25) created all the object labels, the introductory label, the title vinyl, printed the sketchbook pages that were framed and put on the wall, and also created sticker give-aways for the exhibition. Others who have participated in designing and printing for the collection include Jessica Bocinski, Natalie Teeter, and Lorena Ochoa.

Embroidery Projects

Analisa Vavoso is currently our most frequent user of the multi-needle embroidery machine and has created many gifts including embroidered sweatshirts and hats. Although not staff, she often goes out of her way to help beginner embroidery machine users with the machines.

YOBOT

Kalin Richardson, Kaye Galang, Carina Chan, Diego Fondevilla, Laymoni Morrison, and Lindsey Lee wanted to replicate the food delivery robots that are common on other university campuses for their Grand Challenges Initiative (GCI) project. They made this first prototype for their GCI showcase last spring using laser cut and painted wood with living hinges and acrylic for the signs. The three-tiered Yobot can hold drinks and snacks.

3D printed Carcassonne

Caroline Notaro created this 3D printed version of the board game Carcassonne for her final project in ENGR 300, 3D Printing and Design. She designed each piece in Fusion 360 then sliced and printed the multicolored pieces on the Prusa XL printer. Her project was displayed in the Mini Maker Faire in Spring 2024.

Metal menorah

As part of his final project for ENGR 300, 3D Printing and Design, David Veksler wanted to metal 3D print a menorah. Unfortunately, we do not have a metal 3D printer so he decided to CNC mill it out of a block of metal. Since the CNC mill has many more constraints than 3D printers, David had to change his design. He also had to learn how to create toolpaths in Fusion 360 and how to operate the Tormach CNC mill. After many hours of machining, he created his metal menorah.

handstand canes

These handstand canes were fabricated by Arisa Takenaka Trombley, a student in the EECS master's program.

As an aspiring acrobat and fabricator, Arisa wanted to combine her skills to create strong canes taller than her current ones to practice hand balancing.

She used the miter saw and orbital sander on plywood to make the hand blocks. For elevation, floor flanges were screwed onto the wooden base and blocks to secure 18" tall, galvanized steel pipes.

Cast Resin Dice

These dice were created by Annika Krein as a personal project for her tabletop adventures. She started by making a silicone mold around an existing set of dice. With this mold she then poured new resin, colored with different colors of mica powder, to craft interesting sets of dice. The numbers are inked with acrylic paint. They are completely balanced and roll just as well (or poorly) as standard, storebought dice.

Anatomically Fitted Track Spike Plate

Sam Thompson, created a track spike plate made with carbon fiber on the Markforged 3D printer.

As a member of the Chapman track team, Thompson was looking to create a spike plate that was more anatomically fitting to a person's foot to prevent toe pinching and reduce the inherent injury risk commonly occurring in current spike plate designs.

Thompson designed the prototypes in Fusion 360 which were printed in PETG on the Prusa printers. Each of his 13 prototypes was tested for strength and flexibility. One of the key initial elements of his innovation was using the 3D scanners in the Makerspace to scan the shape and dimensions of Thompson’s old track shoes.

Once the project is operational and complies with US Track and Field standards, Thompson hopes to compete with his anatomically fitted track spike plates.

Line Following Robot

Ken Baierl, Ethan Slade, and Leeor Oshri built a line following robot as the final project for their microelectronics class. While all groups in the class had to build this line following robot, they went the extra step and built a custom printed circuit board (PCB) for their robot as well as entered it in the Spring 2023 Make-A-Thon.

Miniature Scale Model

This miniature scale model was made by Natasha Parbhu for her senior project as a production design major. She designed the model in SketchUp and laser cut the sides out of plywood and printed stickers for the walls and floors. The stairs, curtains, and small figures were 3D printed.

wooden Maze

As part of her final project for the Design for Manufacturing class, McKinley Pieper made a double sided maze out of plywood on the Shopbot CNC router. The 3D modeling and toolpath generation was done using Fusion 360 and then laser engraved a start and finish text on the wood.

To post process, she sanded all the small pockets, stained the plywood, and glued the sides together. Clear acrylic lids were laser cut then screwed onto the top of the mazes so the ball wouldn't fall out.

3D Printed Shot Glasses

These shot glasses were designed in Fusion 360 by Jacob Spierer and prototyped in a variety of different equipment including 3D printers and CNC mills until finalizing on a full color 3D printed version made on the Stratasys J850.

LED Chaser Circuit

This LED chaser printed circuit board (PCB) was made by Zieren Clark. He first tested the circuit on a breadboard and then used Eagle CAD to turn it into a PCB and fabricated it on the S104 ProtoMat before soldering on the components. The circuit uses a 555 timer and 4017 counter ICs along with many LEDs, resistors, capacitors, and a potentiometer that allows him to control the speed of the blinking.

Heart Shaped Dice Box

This heart shaped dice box was made by Annika Brown using various materials for laser cutting. The outside was made using a living hinge that had to be recut several times to get the fit just right. The inside was layered with several pieces of foam and the lid was cut out of acrylic to sit on the top. A ridge was engraved around the lid to allow it to sit in the correct spot. This was submitted as a laser cutting project for the Design for Manufacturing class.

LEATHER WALLET

This leather wallet was made by Tom Moore on the laser cutters. The pieces were designed in Fusion 360 and then cut in wood several times to check the sizing. Once cut and engraved in leather, the material was dyed and sewn together.

ELECTRONIC ROBOT COSTUME

This whimsical robot was designed and created by Chloe Leis for the senior thesis film, VIDA. She spent just over a week making this robot come to life, combining laser-cutting, 3D printing, electronics, and more.

Laser Cut Tie Fighter

This laser cut Tie Fighter from Star Wars was designed and cut by Ethan Esparza referencing online images. He used different thicknesses of wood and rastered in different details to get the shape correct.

LASER cUT pACKAGING pROJECT

These coffee bean and tea bag carriers were illustrated by Graphic Design student Nick Burke, printed on the Roland-Vinyl Printer Cutter, and laser cut for his Color Class's Rebranding Project.

Scale Model Project

This scale model project was made by Isabel Wiesner for her Production Design 2 class. The pieces were cut out of 1/8" wood and then painted and glued together.

Light Up Apple Box

This Light Up Apple Box was made by film student Chiana Chuc to assist her on set. When the light is on, it indicates that filming is in progress to let others on set know. The sign is designed to be replaceable and this is the second iteration of the box. The first was made out of 1/2" wood and was much heavier than the current version made out of 1/4" wood.

3d printed film holder

After returning from his study abroad in Japan, Max started his first 3D modeling summer project at the DCI lab. He worked in the prototype lab to 3D print a film holder to scan film negatives captured during his trip. After a couple of iterations, the final 3D print was a simple two-piece design based on forums online and printed in PLA.

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