OpenBCI Partners with LulzBot, Continues Spectacular Success with Kickstarter Classroom Kit

November 11, 2015 by Bridget O'Neal 3D Printers 3D Printing Business

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LulzBot is a name that comes up often these days, synonymous with 3D printing and innovating at the desktop. The lineup of 3D printers, manufactured by Aleph Objects, Inc., is extremely popular with teachers and students, and we’ve followed stories as learning institutions have integrated the hardware with great results into classrooms, as well as hitting the retail scene in a big way lately, debuting in 25 Micro Center locations across the US.

LulzBot products almost always make an appearance in 3D Hubs Worldwide 3D Printing Trends Reports, are in the top five 3D printers trending this month–and they have also recently been named the recipients of the ‘Best Overall’ and ‘Outstanding Open Source’ awarded by Make magazine, among other awards for their TAZ 5 and other 3D printers.

Based in Loveland, Colorado, Aleph Products and the LulzBot lineup have another feather in their cap now as they enter into a partnership with OpenBCI. With headquarters in Brooklyn, OpenBCI is an open-source brain-computer interfacing (BCI) technology company. They manufacture hardware and software tools so that users can measure, analyze, and use the human body’s electrical signals.

Like Aleph Objects, Inc. OpenBCI shares the same commitment to supporting and expanding the open source hardware and software communities. Along with that, compounding the excitement further, OpenBCI has also launched a Kickstarter Classroom Kit, making a new pledge level available for their ongoing campaign.

The Classroom Kit offers the LulzBot TAZ 5 and 10 OpenBCI Ganglion and Ultracortex Mark IV kits. The Ganglion is, according to OpenBCI, high-quality and very affordable at the $99 price point. The Ultracortex Mark IV is also the newest version of the OpenBCI 3D-printed EEG headset, and costs around $300 to $500.

“We’re so excited to announce our partnership with Lulzbot,” says OpenBCI co-founder and chief technologist Joel Murphy. “Both of our companies share the same important goals of product adaptability and accessibility, and we can’t wait to use their expertise in 3D printing to continue to bring involvement and collaboration in brain science to the masses.”

With the versatility of the LulzBot TAZ 5, OpenBCI is definitely hoping to emphasize and target the educational arena. This is a good choice in 3D printers for that sector according to those who have come before them in integrating the LulzBot machines into curriculum for younger students as they gain enthusiasm and skillsets in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. OpenBCI is following a mission to offer as much accessibility as possible with both quality and affordability.

“By partnering with Lulzbot and announcing our Kickstarter Classroom Kit, we hope to get biosensing and neuroscience tools into the hands of a younger generation,” states OpenBCI co-founder and CEO Conor Russomanno. “Today’s kids are the future experts of neuroscience and human-computer interfacing. By creating low-cost, high-quality educational technology products, we can help these students learn the skills to get there.”

Their Kickstarter campaign, begun with modest hopes of raising $80,000 by December 18^th, is off to a great success with nearly $70,000 already pledged at the time of this writing. In just the first week of their 45-day campaign, over 80% of funding was reached. The results so far are impressive to say the least–and with plenty of time to go in surpassing their goal, this is a company and a partnership we will undoubtedly continue to follow with interest.

Discuss and provide your feedback on this story in the LulzBot / OpenBCI forum thread on 3DPB.com.