Hello everyone! My name is Luke Cunningham, you may remember me from the foundation grant receiving program at around this time last year. I was the senior who received a grant to build a 3d printing machine. I am happy to say that because of the grant funds and a lot of hard work, I have completed the project! It's been a long, difficult ride to get to this point; One that pushed me to my limits, but I couldn't be any happier with where the project is going than I am right now. Though I said the project is finished, it is really only getting started. 

 

This October, I presented my machine at a virtual event where hundreds of people got to see and hear me talk about the machines features and capabilities. I set up a website and a "Discord" forum page for people to discuss the machine and currently have 100 people involved in the discussion forum, and have almost 200 who have signed up for email updates about the machine. These are people whose interest's ranges from education, to engineering, to tinkering, to materials science. I've been in conversation with multiple very talented people from Germany, Sweden, New Zealand, The U.S., and Australia over the last few weeks in regards to this project. Some of those people are company founders and PhD students. The community involvement and excitement generated around my project has surprised me thoroughly. I fully intend to meet the original goal of documenting and "Open-sourcing" the project to make it available to students and educators world-wide, but now I have seen many verticals of its usefulness that I am going to continue to pursue further. 

 

For example, I have tested printing sugar objects with great results and have a small startup interested in how they can do the same thing for their culinary-focused company. Dozens of other people have verbally expressed their interest, with many others who seem to be tagging along to see the project's progress. 

 

If any of you have any questions or comments about the machine, feel free to reach out to me at this email, or at 312-288-1147. I tried to get everyone in this email that I knew to, but feel free to CC anyone I missed. I'd be happy to tell you more about it, and if you have any ideas for a machine that can print complex items out of edible sugar, strong plastic, or waxes, let me know! I'm constantly looking for ways to get the information out on the project and ways to collaborate with people who can help take this project to the next level. I can also send more pictures and videos if requested. https://photos.app.goo.gl/8xRVrZ4K3SgoDxGw6 

 

I just wanted to reach out the the folks who really made the project happen! I really, really appreciate what the grant has done for me, so thank you to all the supporters and organizers who made it happen. 750 dollars may not be a lot of money to those who donated it, but it means the world to me right now, and without that funding, I'm sure the project would have never taken off. Its been a huge educational success for myself, and I have high hopes that it will be for others very soon. 

 

Best wishes,

Luke Cunningham