IAM3D​​

What is IAM3D?

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IAM3D (Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D) is a hands-on engineering design team at UF, where students dive into 3D modeling, 3D printing, and product design. Members tackle personal and collaborative projects—from autonomous robots to FPV racing drones—and receive mentorship, resources, and funding regardless of experience level. Open to all engineering disciplines, the team draws skills that extend beyond the classroom. Students showcase their work at national events such as ASME E-Fest, gaining practical experience in design, manufacturing, and teamwork. Above all, IAM3D UF is a launchpad for future engineers in both academia and industry.

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What is E-Fest?

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"The ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D (IAM3D®) Challenge is designed to give mechanical and multi-disciplinary undergraduate students around the world an opportunity to re-engineer existing products or create new designs."

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IAM3Ds across the nation compete in a very specific challenge that changes year-to-year at E-Fest. For the 2025–26 season, teams must 3D-print a compact rover (within a 0.48 cm cube) and drive it via FPV from a command booth to dig, carry, and dump mixed 'resources' on a 2.43 m × 2.43 m sand course into a central bucket. Scoring combines a pre-event design report with a 5-minute run where every gram deposited earns points, metal items earn bonuses, and totals are scaled by how much of the rover is additively manufactured. Strict safety rules apply (kill switch, battery limits, inspections), and winners are recognized at EFx events. 

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What projects have you completed / plan to make?

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During the 2024-2025 year, IAM3D designed an FPV drone capable of picking up magnetic blocks to deploy around an obstacle course. Other side projects: TARS model (w/ AI), Wall-E Revolving Tool Shelf, Biaxial Turret. While some of these may continue, our major focus will be on the 2025-26 Rover project and more. As always, all members are welcome to work on collaborative or individual projects based on their interests.

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How can I join?

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It's easy! Join the Discord via the link, reach out, and we will get you all the information you need. Based on your goals and preferences, we encourage you to join project teams within IAM3D where you can work with smaller groups of like-minded engineers (and where everyone can gain experience first-hand in a collaborative, real-world engineering project!).

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Link to join the Discord: https://discord.gg/PknDZ7wUEp

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