Middle schoolers visit college to see 3-D printers

Woodland -- Woodland Middle School's Lego Robotics class took a field trip to tour University of Washington's three-dimensional printer research laboratories last month. The class worked last year to see if combining recycling techniques with 3-D printing could result in tiny houses made through Additive Manufacturing, which would result in no waste byproducts of any kind, according to a release from the district. Each year, the Lego Robotics League issues a new challenge for students around the world, and last year's theme was looking for innovative ways to reduce trash. The students went to Seattle to see "Big Red," a 3-D printer students at Washington built to melt down used plastic for repurposing. The students shared their experience competing in the league last year, and toured the college's Makers' Space, where mechanical engineering students create different projects using 3-D printers.