WASP Introduces the Maker Economy Starter Kit – Everything You Need for 3D Printed Self-Sufficiency

The best thing about WASP, in my opinion, isn’t the amazing things they’ve created – although they certainly have created some incredible things. They’re 3D printing a village right now, for heaven’s sake. What really makes them a remarkable company, however, is that they’re not interested in patents or profit – they simply want to improve the world through 3D printing, and they want to make the resources to do so available to everyone.

WASP (World’s Advanced Savings Project) has always thrived on an open source business model, but their newest offering takes open source to a whole new level. The Maker Economy Starter Kit is a starter kit like no other – it’s 3D printed self-sufficiency in a box, essentially. It contains everything a person could possibly need to build, furnish and maintain a 3D printed house from locally available and recycled materials. It gives anyone who’s interested the resources to create their own version of Shamballa, the in-progress 3D printed village that, when completed, will be a completely self-sufficient, eco-friendly village based on shared technology.

Kits for every WASP 3D printer model are included, plus a collection of tools. Contents include:

• BigDelta 3D printer, WASP’s famous “house printer,” plus rototillers, grinders, and other tools needed to create 3D printing material out of soil, rocks, straw and other naturally occurring materials at the building site
• DeltaWASP 3MT, the company’s newest release, designed for 3D printing furniture, plus multiple extruders and milling tools
• DeltaWASP 40 70 and DeltaWASP 20 40, for the production of smaller objects with multiple materials
• Clay Press Kit, which contains the tools needed to transform a standard 3D printer into a clay printer, plus a small kiln
• TopWASP DLP, the company’s jewelry and dental 3D printer
• Tool kit and raw materials, including a compressor, welder, grinder, power generator, mini lathe and other basic tools
• SD card, which contains all the information needed to implement the Maker Economy. It will be periodically updated with new information.

That’s a lot to fit into one kit (it’s a big one). All of the instructions needed to set up your Starter Kit will be available for free online, plus a series of video tutorials. Everything is open source, as usual, and designers, engineers, architects, etc. can freely exchange ideas and parts via the web.

“Our aim is to create micro independent communities, born and developed  on the community knowledge thanks to advanced self-producing systems, reachable from everyone,” said WASP CEO Massimo Moretti. “The 3D printing is the producing process which allows to realize the no-debt-house, a house which offers more freedom to people, a dynamic house, able to create economy, which produces energy instead of using it. A living solution at zero costs able to satisfy all primary human needs: house, food, energy, health, job, culture. It can be helpful in case of humanitarian emergencies caused by economical or political crisis or in case of natural disasters. An instrument useful to Humanitarian Organizations, Civil Protection, Onlus, National and international Institutions to easily operate in difficult situations or areas.”

WASP will be introducing the idea in person at Maker Faire Rome, which is taking place from October 14 to 16. A large exhibition area will house workshops and demonstrations of all of WASP’s technology and how it can be used to bring the Maker Economy concept to life. A stage will be the center for discussion of the Shamballa project, as well as a reading of Viaggio a Shamballa (Journey to Shamballa), which WASP hopes will spark idea-sharing and brainstorming about the project, along with new projects. With help from FabLab Venice, a giant working laboratory will be set up in which the construction of a 3D printed residential unit, complete with vertical gardens, will take place. Discuss further in the House 3D Printing Starter Kit forum over at 3DPB.com.