When Townsville-based soldiers needed to more easily see into mortar sights at night, or wanted an easier way to load tools on a Chinook – it was the Lavarack Barracks MakerSpace that helped turn their ideas into reality.
Complete with tools including 3D printers, a CNC [computer numerical control] router and laser cutter, the space allowed a mortar team to better illuminate the inside of their C2 sights using a device with 3D-printed plastic and rubber seals, AA batteries and laser-cut clear acrylic to refract a red LED.
Another team of aviation soldiers proposed mounting their heavy, fly-away toolkits on an uncrewed ground vehicle – meaning it could be easily loaded and unloaded from a Chinook.
The ideas were developed during Army innovation courses and pitched to Commander 3rd Brigade and unit commanding officers.
Townsville MakerSpace site…
