Gian Pablo Villamil

What are you working on? 

I am leading a software development team at Studio FATHOM (their caps... www.studiofathom.com) where we are developing some really innovative applications around 3D printing. I am also doing some tech work for a friend at Treasure8 (www.treasure8.com) and getting my own 3D printing startup off the ground (www.xyzap3d.com). In terms of personal projects and research I'm teaching a robotics class using Cubelets (modrobotics.com/cubelets), and making some fun 3D printed extensions to the system (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1421337).

Also co-designing toys with my sons.

What are you excited by? 

Uninterrupted sleep.

Also new materials and applications for 3D printing.

Robots and architecture.

What do you want to brag to us about?  

My sons. They are awesome. Kinder, smarter and more people-savvy than me.

Also I get really, really good results from my 3D printers.

What did you try, and in the spirit of Red Burns, fail at utterly and completely?

Save money. Become a thought leader in fields that I am interested in.

How do you find your degree relates to what you're working on now?  

It was a good way to reconnect with some of the technology fundamentals that I work with every day: microcontrollers, C programming, Java, connecting the web to physical stuff, UI and UX stuff.

However, the most fundamental impact of my degree has been to always consider applications, what something is FOR and not how it's MADE.