3D Printed Roller Blades

This is Gibson! He’s a one year old puppy who loves to run and get lots of exercise. I have been using my roller blades to let him run really fast for a longer period of time. However my traditional clunky roller blades take forever to put on were a little annoying. I wanted a more compact design that I could easily slip on. So I thought of designing a solution to my problem. My design constraints consisted of a 3D printed part that could withstand my weight, use my current roller blade wheels, and use parts from a local hardware store.

I began by tracing my shoe on a piece of paper to create a template. I then imported the image and created a sketch in Fusion 360. The sketch would become the platform of the roller blade.


I found another persons 3D model online who designed their own roller blades. However theirs were very bulky. I liked part of their design and wanted to implement some of it into mine. I discovered a feature in Fusion 360 where you can import an STL file and convert it from a mesh to a solid body. It is impossible to edit an STL in the mesh form because it has no physical geometry. This was the first time that I tried working with a mesh converted to an object. The object had many facets making it challenging to change the geometry.

I thought the best way to attach the shoe to the 3D printed part was to use velcro. To make the design stronger I extrude cut three paths through the body underneath the platform sliding the velcro through.

• 

• 

• 

I took the three wheels off my original roller blades. I bought partially threaded bolts to allow the bearings to spin freely. I 3D printed red spacers for the the wheels to prevent the wheel from sliding while in motion. Then securing the bolt with a washer and a nut.

• 

• 

• 

This was a fun design challenge that did not work in the end. I did not think about adding ankle support and ever thought why there’s a reason for it. When first trying it on I could not control my ankle movement. The 3D printed roller blades would teeter totter side to side preventing stable contact to the ground.

It was fun to explore new ways to tackle a problem. I learned about importing meshes into Fusion 360 and got to meet new people at the hardware store! Failure is just as important as succeeding at times. Through trial and error I am learning how to take an idea and turn it into a reality better each time.