D3D Grid

Hint: Design Proposal: Please comment and improve!

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"It would also be interesting to see modular parts combined with an open hardware project such as the Global Village Construction Set, which generates many interesting designs but makes limited use of modularity." -- Lowtech Magazine [1]

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Design Idea and Goal

Convert the design of the D3D Universal to adhere to a grid-based standard. To accomplish this, here are some considerations:

• Printed pieces would need (minor?) changes so that screw-holes match the grid
• Baseplate layout (and parts that connect to it) has to match the grid

Goals

• Make the design more modular and "Lego-like"
• Grid constraints could make future part design more simple
• Grids make parts and assembly more predictable
• Parts have the (increased) potential to be used in ways not imagined before

Grid-based standards

• GridBeam
• OpenStructures https://openstructures.net/
  • Grid and design "manual" (PDF, 2 pages) [2]
• Contraptor http://www.contraptor.org/
• Bitbeam https://bitbeam.org/2012/08/25/bitbeambot-the-complete-kit/
• OpenBeam (MakerBeam) https://github.com/ttstam/OpenBeam
  • 15x15mm, standard M3 bolts/nuts
  • technical drawings [3] [4]
• BitBeam https://bitbeam.org/
  • Bitbeambot parts [5]
  • seems dormant/abandoned

• Universal Prototyping Kit (German) [6]
  • parts on GitHub [7]

References

• How to Make Everything Ourselves: Open Modular Hardware [8]
• 80/20 (Constuctor) patent, expired [9]