Skip Content
Apply now
Ask a question Search

Pilot Project For 3D Printer

National Library kaimahi (from front left) Lynne Vincent, Lani Emery, Arlyn Palconit and DJ Kukutai Jones and (from back left) Hoani Skipper, Greg Marshall and Freda Rawiri will be demonstrating 3D printer use this week

Training for the new technology was held at the organisation’s national library based in Hamilton recently and kaimahi will be handing on their newfound 3D scanning, printing and editing suite skills.
 
Librarian DJ Kukutai Jones says the six-month pilot project will gauge how tauira and kaimahi are relating to and engaging with the 3D printer.

“This new technology will allow students to express their creativity in more dynamic ways which will contribute to their overall learning experience at the wānanga and future successes.

“Instead of drawing on paper and creating their items in 2D, they will be able to design and make solid 3D objects, using this state of the art technology.”

DJ says the software training has boosted team confidence and the library kaimahi are now ready to tackle 3D printer use demonstrations.
A gold coin koha will secure a supervised 3D printer “tutu” for kaimahi and tauira, he says.

If the 3D printer pilot project is sucessful a roll out to other wānanga sites will take place, says National Library lead Greg Marshall.

He says medical researchers are using the 3D-printed transformative technology to replace bones and are working on methods to recreate skin and vital organs starting with the pancreas or liver.

Printable objects also range from firearms to artwork.

Kaimahi made rabbit figurines, pencil cases and matau design fish hooks during their first 3D printer training session.

 


 Back to news & events

Published On: 03 June 2015

Article By: Alice Te Puni

Other Articles

  • read more

    8 May 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa introduces four new study opportunities in their Semester B offerings

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa introduces four new study programmes for Semester B, including Māori Governance, Digital Media and Design, Building and Construction Skills, and Study and Employment Skills. Designed to meet the needs of tauira, whānau, hapū, and iwi, these programmes integrate mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori perspectives. Enrol now to grow your skills and achieve your aspirations.

  • read more

    30 April 2025

    Mākereti Papakura, the first Indigenous woman to study at Oxford, to be awarded a posthumous degree

    The School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford has announced that pioneering Māori scholar, Mākereti Papakura, will receive a posthumous degree more than 100 years after she began her studies.

  • read more

    24 April 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa celebrates 40 years of transforming education

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa celebrates 40 years of transforming education since the opening of O-Tāwhao Marae. Join us for a special Taringa podcast episode and livestream on Facebook.

  • read more

    22 April 2025

    From kaupapa to K-pop

    Discover the inspiring journey of Shelley Hoani, who earned her Doctorate in Indigenous Development and Advancement with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Learn how her passion for education, Rangahau, and K-pop has shaped her life and career at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.