About

Hi, my name is Dan Brogan, and I founded Fractal Robotics in 2022 with the vision to accelerate the development of mechanical solutions. In support of that vision, I focused my efforts towards making advanced additive manufacturing technologies more accessible.

This whole project started by observing the gap between the limitations of 3-axis FDM and the inaccessibility of current 5-axis FDM technologies. 3-axis FDM limits part strength due to unidirectional layer stacking, making parts vulnerable to forces applied along the layer lines, while necessitating support structures for overhangs that increase material waste and risk damaging the part during removal. 5-Axis FDM addresses these issues by reorienting the in-process part to print in multiple directions; however, options for existing 5-Axis slicer applications are limited and most commercially available 5-Axis 3D printers are huge and expensive.

These observations prompted an investigation into the needs of 3D printing practitioners across different industries. The insights from dozens of customer interviews helped inform and focus the design of an accessible product package (hardware & software) that addressed the shortfalls of 3-axis FDM while still being easy to use. The result was the development of the Fractal Cortex slicer and the Fractal 5 Pro printer.

I have taken this project as far as possible with internal resources and have decided the best course of action is to release both the Fractal Cortex slicer and designs for the Fractal 5 Pro under an open source license so that others can learn from, build upon, and contribute to it.

Open sourcing this project allows me to stay true to the original vision of Fractal Robotics. By sharing my work, I hope to support researchers, developers, educators, and makers exploring similar ideas.

I'm excited to see where others take this work next.

While I am officially the only member of Fractal Robotics, I would not have made it this far without the help of family, friends, and mentors from the Rhode Island startup community. Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way.