Someone 3D-Printed a Working Replica of ‘The Simpsons’ Purple Living Room TV

Finally answering the longstanding query, “why on earth would I want a 3D printer?,” Brandon Withrow, who goes by ‘buba447‘ on Reddit, shared a video of what might be the single greatest reason to learn how to use a 3D printer and a Raspberry Pi: a tiny replica of the Simpsons’ lounge TV that performs episodes of The Simpsons.

Withrow is presently engaged on a extra full information on how anybody can construct their very own miniature Simpsons’ TV duplicate, so if this looks like a must have addition to your knick-knack-filled desk, you’ll should be affected person till they share a extra thorough breakdown. But by way of Reddit, they’ve already laid out the essential particulars of how this factor got here collectively. The TV itself was designed and modeled utilizing Autodesk Fusion 360, whereas an Ender 3 Pro 3D printer was used to create the entire set’s plastic elements.

Given The Simpsons wasn’t produced in high-definition and widescreen till season 20, Withrow was capable of stick to a 4:3 display ratio provided that they included solely the primary 11 seasons of the animated sequence. A 640×480 TFT show is hidden behind a curved body making it seem like the bulging glass of an old-school CRT, whereas hidden away inside is a Raspberry Pi Zero with a 32GB microSD used for media storage.

All of the episodes from the primary 11 seasons had been compressed to suit the scale of the display and the microSD card (animated sequence like The Simpsons compress to smaller file sizes very effectively). And when the TV is powered up by connecting it to a USB energy supply, an episode performs at random and strikes on to a different random episode each time one finishes. Pressing the highest button on the tiny TV turns it off, however it’s going to bear in mind the place you left off in an episode when powered again on (assuming you don’t disconnect energy altogether) whereas the second button is definitely a dial linked to a potentiometer permitting you to show the quantity up and down by twisting it backwards and forwards.

The construct is paying homage to Basic Fun!’s collectible Tiny TV Classics that are a sequence of miniature TVs that play brief clips from fashionable TV exhibits and flicks, however having the entire good seasons of The Simpsons in your desk and simply accessible is a large improve. And assuming Withrow stays away from the place to supply all that Simpsons content material in his upcoming construct information, there’s little cause for Disney to attempt to shut this glorious creation down.