As costumed children paraded around their Summit Academy Akron Elementary School parking lot on October 31, they gave out high-fives and “hey, Iron Man” greetings to a special guest. Lavell Smith, a.k.a. Iron Man, made a surprise visit to the school at the request of Principal Dawn Presley.
“I wanted him to be part of the parade,” says Presley, who has been following Smith through the creation stages of his 3D-printed costume, which features a motorized face plate that moves up and down and palm lights that flick on and off with a snap of the wrist.
Summit Academy IT Services Manager Smith says he worked on the project for more than four months. “I wanted a challenge, so I started big,” he says, noting that this was his first 3D-print project.
Completed on three printers, oftentimes running throughout the night, the Iron Man costume was a big hit at the school parade, not just with students, but with their family members. Among the parade visitors was Iron Man’s mother, Sandra Smith, who flashed a knowing smile as her son jokingly apologized for not flying into the event due to its no-fly zone location.
Presley says she plans to invite Smith back to the school to show her students his process for creating the costume using 3D printing.
The entire school community, which serves more than 120 students in grades kindergarten through 5th grade, dressed for the occasion. Among those, Presley and her administrative team dressed as the “Inside Out” characters.