Design Discussion Week 4: Cardboard

Before reviewing the links, I would like to share my thoughts on cardboard. I have previous used cardboard last semester during Interaction Lab. During the class, it was highly encouraged to use cardboard for prototyping designs due to its versatility and cheapness. For me, I did find it annoying at times but most likely due to how long it would take to prototype a design but otherwise I see the usefulness cardboard has for prototyping especially. 

 With that said, after reviewing the first article, I am quite surprised that cardboard was made to create a perfectly serviceable and functionable bike that is able to support up to 310 pounds. I have always thought of cardboard being useful for prototyping or products that do not put too much stress on the material itself. However, being able to produce something out of cardboard like a bike is a very cost-effective way to provide people certain products that they may not have access to due to cost. While a good solution for the short-term, cardboard is still quite a comparatively weak material from what typical products like bikes are made of, so one shouldn’t rely on it for long-term use. 

For the second article, I have heard about the Nintendo Labo before. However, many others at the time when it was first revealed mocked it due to the material used, me included. However, with the knowledge I currently have about cardboard, I now realize that this was quite the smart design. Like previously mentioned, cardboard is versatile and cheap, so to be able to create complementary designs that would normally be expensive if another material was used is quite the impressive feat of engineering and a smart money saving cost. A major complaint that I have is despite being made of cardboard, a Nintendo Labo set is quite expensive to buy for consumers, going between $70-$80 depending on the Kit bought.  

For the third article, I had a similar reaction to it as the first article, where I was quite surprised to learn that cardboard is used to create serviceable furniture. It combines the practicality seen with the cardboard bike with the smart designs of the Nintendo Labo. However, it is still quite expensive for the material it is made of, although decently cheaper than the usual furniture people think of. I could see cardboard furniture being economical for those on a budget looking for furniture to fill their place of living and use. 

Speaking of unconventional material, all of this reminds me that in the firearm industry, 3d printing legitimate way to construct firearms out of. Like my original thoughts on cardboard, I had always thought of it only being serviceable for prototype designs or products that do not put too much stress on the material. However, with the continuous development of 3d print technology and material, it has become possible for parts of firearms being replaced to even whole firearms being made of 3d printed material. Considering 3d printing needs heat to construct designs, it quite impressive that firearms made of the same material is able withstand the ignition of bullets being fired from them. In short, 3D printing is an unconventional material for making firearms out of, but has proved effective in constructing entirely firearms out of that work just as well as ones we currently have. 

Below are a few picture and video examples of 3d printed firearms:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJyf1IrHtcE (“Shooting a 3D Printed Gun”)