The folks at 3DPrintler Labs have provided a gift to urban dwellers worldwide: free 3D printed hydroponics components.
Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil in solutions containing the required nutrients. It’s a tricky thing to do properly and you’ll need some uncommon components to set up the necessary liquid flows. That just got a lot easier with the successful crowdfunding launch of a project from Ottawa-based 3DPrintler Labs: 3Dponics. It’s a set of hydroponics component 3D models you can print and assemble into a working hydroponics system.
The goal is to supercharge everyone’s ability to grow their own quality organic food at home using hydroponics. The 3D printed parts, which include connectors, sprinklers, conduits, sleeves and nozzles can be combined with leftover plastic bottles, hose and tie wraps to create a highly functional hydroponics system. It’s actually more of a toolkit, where you can choose the parts required to design your own hydroponics setup.
To accompany the components, 3DPrintler Labs also offers an online community where participants can learn more about the process of hydroponics and share ideas.
Today you can access the all the required 3D model files at Thingiverse and the remaining components are probably already in your possession. Just pull them out of the recycling bin!
For those who do not have access to a 3D printer, 3DPrintler Labs can print components for you. They’ve also made arrangements with 3D Hubs, a worldwide network of 3D printers for hire, to easily print the required components.
We are hoping this project encourages more people to grow their own food, particularly in urban areas where such food can be harder to find or is expensive. Even more interesting could be the use of this technology in third world countries where agriculture challenges exist.
Via 3Dponics Thingiverse, Kickstarter and 3D Hubs
