We are at #CES2014 in Las Vegas this week, where there are a whole lotta new 3D printers at the 3D Printing TechZone.

MakerBot, the darling of the desktop 3D printing world, announced three new 3D printers at the show.

We caught up with Bre Pettis, Founder and CEO of MakerBot, for an exclusive video interview and tour of the new announcements. Watch the full video below.

First, Bre Pettis showed us the MakerBot Replicator Mini, which sells for $1,375.

“You can make great collectibles with it,” said Pettis. The build area allows for objects 4” x 4” x 5”.

Pettis also suggested that the Replicator Mini 3D printer would be great for schools. MakerBot recently announced an education initiative called MakerBot Academy with a goal to put a 3D printer in every school in the U.S.

This is also one of the next generation of MakerBot 3D printers that are smart, explained Pettis. They know when they need more filament and say “feed me.”

MakerBot seems to be taking an Apple strategy, creating a desktop 3D printer for everyone’s needs. Instead of the iPad, iPad Mini, and iPhone, MakerBot has the Replicator Z18, the Replicator Fifth Generation, and the Replicator Mini.

“If the Replicator Mini is the consumer machine, the MakerBot Replicator [Fifth Generation] is the prosumer machine,” said Pettis.

Bre was especially product of the knob on the Replicator interface, modeled after high-end stereo equipment. This interface lets you browse and select projects to print and the 3D printer can connect to the Internet via Ethernet, with Wi-Fi coming soon. The Replicator sells for $2,899.

Pettis also showed us the Replicator Z18, a large-size 3D printer with a 12” x 12” build volume and a heated build chamber to keep models dimensionally stable. This monster of a 3D printer sells for $6,499. Pettis said he’s really excited to see what people create with such a large build area.

Back to the education initiative, Pettis – who is a former teacher – thought that the Replicator Z18 might be great

It’s Also About Software

While the MakerBot founder was really proud of the new desktop 3D printers, he was quick to emphasize that the software is also new and improved.

MakerBot announced this week the availability of the MakerBot desktop application including a digital store, the MakerBot mobile app, and the MakerBot PrintShop application that lets you design bracelets and other items.

Thanks to Bre Pettis for the interview!

Last year at CES was the year of 3D printing (and 3D TVs right?). MakerBot announced the Replicator 2X desktop 3D printer, recently merged Stratasys and Objet were showing off the Mojo 3D printer, and 3D Systems won Best in Tech for the Cube consumer 3D printer.

Well this year is already shaping up to blow last year away. It’s a 3D printer bonanza!

Related: Read our coverage of 3D Printing at CES 2013

3D Systems has already announced five (5!) new 3D printers, including devices that create edible treats, ceramic objects, and full-color 3D prints. MakerBot launched 3 new 3D printers including the Replicator Mini. And there are 28 companies in the 3D printing industry exhibiting at CES, including:

• 3D Printlife
• 3D Systems
• Afinia
• Beijing Tiertime Technology
• CEL Technology Ltd.
• DWS SRL
• EnvisionTEC Inc.
• Formlabs
• FSL3D
• Incodema Group
• Invoxia/Swissvoice
• Kevvox
• Leonar3do International
• LIGHTFORGE
• Makerbot Industries
• Matterform
• Mcor Technologies Ltd
• Old World Laboratories
• Pirate3DP Pte Ltd
• Robo 3D
• Sculpteo
• SolidIdea.com
• Solidoodle LLC
• Stratasys, Ltd.
• TCT Magazine + Personalize
• WhiteClouds
• 3Doodler
• XYZprinting Inc.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said it was expanding on last year’s 3D Printing TechZone by 25% to 4,400 square feet featuring 9 exhibitors, including 3D Systems, Makerbot Industries, Sculpteo, and Stratasys Inc.

“Exhibitor demand really drove our decision to formalize this 3D Printing TechZone, as it’s quickly becoming one of the more dynamic and innovative categories within our industry, while also becoming more accessible to consumers from a price perspective,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, International CES and corporate business strategy. “The sell-out response to this TechZone speaks to the strong interest in this category and the desire from leaders in the field to showcase their new products on the CES show floor.”

The 3D Printing TechZone will be located in the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center (LVCC), South Hall 3.

Stay tuned for more coverage. Tweet us @On3DPrinting to meet up!

3D Systems is continuing its acquisition activity with the purchase of Gentle Giant Studios, the leading provider of 3D modeling for the entertainment and toy industry. This acquisition provides 3D Systems with access to decades of licensed content including some of the biggest brands in entertainment and expands the company’s retail merchandising capabilities.

For over two decades, Gentle Giant Studios has led the development of state-of-the-art content using 3D scanning and modeling to develop and manufacture licensed 3D printed characters, toys and collectibles from a variety of franchise properties with global brand recognition, including Marvel, Disney, AMC’s The Walking Dead, Avatar, Harry Potter and Star Wars.

3D Systems plans to immediately leverage Gentle Giant Studios technology and vast library of digital content into its consumer platform and extend its existing brand relationships to further the reach of 3D scanning, modeling and printing for entertainment, toys, collectibles, action figures in conjunction with numerous blockbuster films and evergreen licensed properties.

“Gentle Giant Studios catapults [3D Systems'] consumer platform forward with highly curated, licensed characters, content publishing know-how and first-mover experience for the benefit of leading toy companies, movie studios and their merchandising divisions,” said Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems.

Related: Watch our video interview with Avi Reichental about his M&A strategy

Happy new year! 2013 was a great year for 3D printing.

Public stocks for 3D printing companies rose over 350%, beating the S&P 500 and Dow Jones by 10X or more.

(3D printing stocks in 2013; click to enlarge)

There were acquisitions, both large and small. 3D scanning technology came to market in a big way. And we saw great new materials used in 3D printing, from bioprinting to metals to sugar.

To celebrate 2013, On 3D Printing has put together a Year in Review, highlighting the biggest stories in the 3D printing ecosystem.

3D Printing Year in Review 2013

January 2013 – 3D printing was a big hit at CES in Las Vegas. MakerBot announced the Replicator 2X, recently merged Stratasys and Objet were showcasing the Mojo 3D printer, and 3D Systems won best in tech for the Cubify 3D printer.

February 2013 – President Obama mentioned 3D printing in his State of the Union address, calling the technology revolutionary. The President said, “A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the art lab where new workers are mastering the 3D printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything.”

April 2013 - In a groundbreaking first in the medical field, a team from the University of Hasselt created a method for using 3D printing to fabricate a functioning titanium jaw implant that rescued their patient from a massive infection.

Also in April, thousands of 3D printing professionals and enthusiasts gathered for the Inside 3D Printing conference in New York City, where a keynote speaker said that 3D printing was in its “Apple 1 moment.” Read our full recap.

May 2013 - 3D printed guns were a big topic of discussion earlier in the year when libertarian activist Cody Wilson published his plans for the Liberator, the world’s first 3D printed gun. A few days later, the US government forced those plans to be taken down. The mainstream media jumped on the 3D printed gun story, which elevated the profile of 3D printing in general. Cody Wilson has moved on to focus on opportunities in Bitcoin, and it seems that most people have moved on from worrying about 3D printed guns.

June 2013 – Desktop 3D printer pioneer MarketBot was acquired by 3D printing giant Stratasys for $403 million, marking the first major acquisition of a consumer 3D printing company. For Stratasys, this was a major competitive play against 3D Systems who had launched the Cube desktop 3D printer. MakerBot had been founded in 2009 by Bre Pettis and had sold fewer than 25,000 3D printers by the time of the acquisition.

Also in June, a new desktop 3D printer, the Buccaneer, raised $1.4 million on Kickstarter.

July 2013 – MIT researchers developed an architecture pipeline, called OpenFab, that aims to dramatically reduce the learning curve and barriers involved in designing for 3D printing.

Also in July, NASA tested a 3D printed rocket engine injector for its space shuttle.

August 2013 – MakerBot announced the availability of their desktop 3D scanner, the MakerBot Digitizer, for $1,400. It has a turntable and uses laser technology to create a digital design from a real-world object in minutes.

Also in August, the UPS Store announced a nation-wide plan to deploy 3D printers in their stores.

September 2013 – Organovo CEO Keith Murphy presented at the Inside 3D Printing conference, showcasing his company’s achievements and roadmap, and presenting the case for a multi-billion big pharma opportunity. Organovo specializes in bioprinting, which involves 3D printing with human cells as ink. This allows Organovo to create human living tissue that can be used to test drug therapies at a very early stage of development, even before FDA trials begin.

October 2013 – German 3D printing firm voxeljet went public, soaring on first day of trading. voxeljet printer systems and services are aimed squarely at commercial applications in the automotive, architecture, aerospace, medical/orthopedic, engineering, and defense industries. The company sold its first 3D printer in 2002 and has installed 52 printers worldwide as of June 30, 2013, with 53% of sales outside of Germany and major customers including Ford, 3M, Daimler AG, BMW, and Hyundai.

November 2013 – 3D Systems launched Sense, a $399 consumer 3D scanner. Sense has flexible scan size and can capture everything from a picture-perfect cupcake to a full-body selfie, processing data in seconds for an instantly 3D printable file. 2013 turned out to be a formative year for 3D scanning, with many new products coming to market. Notable mentions include the MakerBot Digitizer desktop 3D scanner, the Fuel3D handheld 3D scanner, the Structure Sensor iPad add-on.

Also in November, 3D Systems announced that it was partnering with Google to create the new 3D printed smartphone.

December 2013 – Kentucky students successfully launched a 3D printed satellite into orbit. The collaborative team of students from the University of Kentucky and Morehead State University, along with Kentucky Space, launched the KySat-2 into orbit as part of the NASA ElaNa IV mission out of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Also in December, a new 3D printer, called Robox, raised $300,000 on Kickstarter. The Robox uses precision nozzles to make perfect 3D prints with no bumps. It should debut in 2014 for $1,400.

5 Predictions for 2014

It’s amazing to see the innovation we saw in 3D printing in 2013. But 2014 is sure to be even bigger. Here are a few things to look out for:

1. Fun new materials – Pretty much any material can be constituted for 3D printing, from metals to food to rubber to concrete. Look for these to become more available and affordable.
2. All-in-one devices – We predict the emergence of desktop devices that operate both as 3D scanners and 3D printers. There are already some on the market, such as the Lionhead from Radiant Fabrication.
3. Consumer price drops – Expect prices to come down significantly for consumer devices as competition increases and new innovations come to market. We saw the a 3D printer as low as $100 (the Peachy).
4. 3D printing in Space – NASA plans to put the first 3D printer in Space in August 2014, allowing astronauts to 3D print replacement parts or small cube-shaped satellites.
5. More M&A activity and the big guys enter – We also think 2014 will be the year of big entrants and big acquisitions. Will IBM buy 3D Systems? Will HP launch their own line of 3D printers? Any of these could happen.

Thanks for reading in 2013! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch with the latest news and follow us on Twitter @On3DPrinting.