Microsoft's Garage is a Haven for Creativity, 3D Printers and Jingles

The range of possibility available through 3D printers is truly amazing. If you haven’t yet seen one of these devices in action it’s certainly worth watching. There are already a plethora of interest groups that are testing the limits of what is possible with these 3D printers and Microsoft is one of them. Ever heard of the Microsoft Garage?Check out this demonstration of what a 3D printer is capable of:The “makerspace” is pretty much any 3D printer enthusiasts dream shop where creativity reigns supreme, and newly printed objects beat out classic jingles that we all know and love. Garages like Microsoft’s are being opened up all over the country by private entities and public institutions alike.For the last 4 years, the Garage has been a place where Microsoft engineers and other employees can wile away the hours on various experiments and other projects. It’s a really amazing concept that nurtures the creative process and actually lets employees develop ideas that could become amazing new technology down the road.(Fun Fact: Microsoft now holds an annual “science fair” where their employees are able to showcase some of the latest creations they have been working on in the Garage.)One of the coolest projects that have come out of this makerspace has to be the new 3D printed instruments that can be programmed to play any song-- or a memorable jingle! Mind you, the printer doesn’t produce the entire instrument. The finished product is a cyborg of sorts-- half machine/half 3D printed material. The Garage team recently programmed the instrument so that it would play the iconic Windows XP startup tune on the xylophone.While we are still a ways off from producing fully functional 3D printed xylophone player, but this demonstration certainly got the attention of the team here (we are always on the lookout for something cool like this).The driving point that Microsoft is trying to make behind this demonstration is that contrary to popular belief, this company is not just some monolith that crushes any hint of the creative process into microdust. In fact, they cherish individual expression and what it can accomplish (or at least they really want you to believe that...).We are certainly interested in seeing what else comes out of the Microsoft Garage. Do you have any ideas for what other jingles might sound cool on the 3D printed xylophone player? Let us know what you think!