The Bitbeam project
Bitbeam is an open source construction toy/hardware prototyping platform. A collection of LEGO Technic compatible parts (beams) which can be combined to construct whatever contraption the user has thought up.
The Bitbeam project aims to define a set of parts which the users themselves can produce using increasingly available technologies for local fabrication like 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC mills.
The name for the project is derived from the full size modular building system Grid Beam (Formerly Box Beam).
The size of a Bitbeam is defined by the number of mounting holes. A piece with a single row 8 mounting holes would be considered to be of length 8.
Straight Bitbeam. Height is 1 , length is more than 1.
Flat rectangular pieces with a height of more than 1 and width of more than 3.
Speciality Bitbeam for mounting hardware like motors ,development boards (Arduino etc.) and the Raspberry Pi.
A plate filled with mounting holes. A grid of heigh 4 and width 4 would have 4*4 = 16 holes.
A beam which is "bent". A type of bracket could be a an L-shaped Bitbeam.
The base unit of the Bitbeam world is 0.8mm (Like LEGO).
- Mounting holes are 6 units in diameter (4.8mm)
- Hole spacing is 10 units (8mm)
- All dimensions must be divisable by the base unit.
Bitbeam are connected using standard M5 (5mm) bolts and nuts (10-32 imperial).
- Bitbeam must be published in OpenSCAD compatible .scad file format.
- A library of modules defining the basic elements of Bitbeam must be used (Or expanded on) when creating new pieces of Bitbeam.
If you do not have means to fabricate Bitbeam your self, you could contact your local makerspace or similar.
We need a list of suggested places here. Maybe someone would sell Bitbeam to others?
We need people to:
- Create Bitbeam pieces in different materials and test them (Strength etc.).
- Come up with projects that can be build using Bitbeam (And document them).
- Take pretty pictures of Bitbeam.
- Organize workshops that incoporate Bitbeam.
- Organize a Bitbeam-party (Create lots of Bitbeam, and have fun building stuff).
Post a message to the Google Group bitbeam-banter