Video: 3D Printed Record Sort of Plays “Still Alive”

(Editor’s Note: While we typically don’t cover the 3D printing industry, since a “record” of sorts was printed, we thought you might find this interesting.)

Geek.com reports that we all know the wonderful thing that can be done — and will be able to be done — with 3D printers. You can make yourself a great coat hanger, a killer companion cube, or even the parts for another 3D printer. That said, today there are still limitations on what one can do with extruded plastic.

One brilliant project that immediately grabbed my attention was an attempt to print a record that works with the Fisher Price toy record player. If you’ve never seen one of these, it’s a children’s wind-up toy that plays music off plastic discs. The clever part is that the records have these tabs in the tracks that push the “needle” and make sounds. It’s not entirely different then how a real record player works, but obviously it’s greatly simplified and there are limited number of tones can be made. The end result is something like the cross between a player piano and a sanza… but for kids.

Read more and watch the video at http://www.geek.com/articles/games/3d-printed-record-sort-of-plays-still-alive-20120127/