MÉRTOLA—Welcome back to our Video segment, our first of 2018. After what feels like a dismal 2017, we want to start the year off basking in the sun with a quirky invention: a paddled, watermill-driven 3D printer. Envision: floating along the river sunbathing as the mesmerizing hydro-powered 3D printer coils simple pots lulling you into deep relaxation.
Developed by Portuguese design duo Ojeam Studio over two weeks as part of a residency at RésVés Mértola 2016, 360º Under Water’s inspiration is drawn from the Guadiana River. The river has as served as the most the important way of communication and interconnection between Mértola and the rest of Portugal as a commercial port center, DesignBoom writes.
with this in mind, the designers at ojeam studio have created a ceramic 3D printer which, through a watermill, activates a rotating potter’s wheel simultaneously and a extruder that prints ceramic containers. this project is also an approach towards the massive evolution of technology that allows us to create and build everything in a more efficient way.
The river’s flowing water forces the circular movement of the paddles, which them oscillates several pulley systems to rotate the
ojeam studio designs watermill-powered 3D ceramic printer from designboom on Vimeo.
Do you love or loathe this quirky machine from the world of the contemporary ceramic art and contemporary ceramics. Share your thoughts below in our comments section.
3D ceramic printing is a challenging development for the pottery world. It is a way to make pots that could be made by hand, but personally for such pots, I’d rather have my hands in clay. However, together with CAD programs, it is possible to design pots that are not really possible on a wheel or by hand building. I expect that the generation of young potters will become facile with CAD programs and 3D ceramic printing and offer some fascinating new pots. I am hoping I get to try out such tools because I already have in mind some pots that I don’t think I can make any other way!