Motorola Mobility, a Google company, is building a 3D printed modular phone, and has partnered with 3D Systems for commercial fulfillment. More »
The Captured Dimensions pop-up studio was located in the Smithsonian Castle and featured approximately 80 digital cameras all connected to 3D software. More »
Microsoft expanded their support for 3D printing by launching a Windows 8 app called 3D Builder. It includes a library of objects you can edit and 3D print. More »
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced the availability of the Sense 3D scanner, the first 3D scanner designed for the consumer and optimized for 3D printing. More »
With rumors circling that 3D Systems will be purchased by IBM, the stock soars. We look at why IBM might be interested in the 3D printing giant. More »
Buttercup the Duck Gets 3D Printed Prosthetic Foot and a Facebook Page
Prosthetic Duck Foot Designed Using 3D Printing
Buttercup is a lucky little duck. He was born in November 2012 with a backwards foot, a disability that could have resulted in a short life, were it not for his owners who designed and 3D printed a prosthetic foot. It’s an amazing story.
From birth Buttercup was disabled with a backwards foot. As he grew, it was clear that this was going to impair his ability to survive.
After having surgery to remove the foot, Buttercup had just a little stump of a leg. His owner Mike Garey decided to turn to 3D printing to create a new limb for the duckling. As a software engineer, Garey used Autodesk 3D modeling software to design the new foot based on photos of Buttercup’s other foot and photos of Buttercup’s sister’s foot.
Garey partnered with NovaCopy, a 3D printing reseller located in Tennessee, to 3D print the foot, or really a sock shaped like a webbed foot that would ultimately be used to create a mold for the final prosthetic.
Needless to say, Buttercup is happy little duck that he is so well taken care of. His owners have published a Facebook page where you can follow Buttercup’s story in great detail. The page currently has over 8,000 likes!
Buccaneer 3D Printer Closes Epic Kickstarter Campaign Raising $1.4 Million
Buccaneer 3D Printer Raises $1.4 Million on Kickstarter
When Pirate3D launched their Kickstarter campaign about a month ago, they probably had no idea that they would end up raising enough money for a legitimate startup seed round. With a goal of $100,000, the company raised 14 times that amount for the Buccaneer 3D printer.
Their mission was simple but bold.
We at Pirate3D are creating a full 3D printing solution for home consumers. We want this technology to be freely available to everyone (at great and affordable prices!) and also easy to use (great user experience!). Our long term mission is to be innovative at every level of 3D printing, from object design all the way to printing.
The Buccaneer 3D printer was designed to be intuitive, relevant, and affordable at $347.
Beyond the Buccaneer 3D printer, Pirate3D also promised an ecosystem to support consumer 3D printing, including:
- Easy and Intuitive set up, The Buccaneer is built to be as easily set up as possible. You do not need to mess around with raw spools of plastic lying around on your table because it is now integrated into the machine via cartridges. There are no unnecessary wires or parts that get in the way and every Buccaneer is fully set up and ready to go in minutes.
- Cloud Printing like pulling information directly from our store (Treasure Island) into your Buccaneer. You can choose whether you want to hook your Buccaneer into a PC or whether you want to work from a mobile device to make your prints!
- Smart Objects allow everyday users to easily customize 3D objects without having to learn how to use 3D Design Software. Just drag/click a few buttons and you will be able to edit and create basic objects in any way you want. Once its done, you can share your image with your friends or send it directly to The Buccaneer to have it made!
Congratulations to the Pirate3D team on raising $1.4 million on Kickstarter! Watch their video below to learn more from Chief Executive Pirate Roger Chang and Chief Operating Pirate Brendan Goh.
Inside 3D Printing Early Bird Prices End This Week
We’ve partnered again with the Inside 3D Printing Conference as it continues its world tour in Chicago this July 10-11. Event prices increase at midnight, so enter our promo-code, ON3D, and register today.
With Stratasys and 3D Systems slated to exhibit at the event’s summer edition, the event provides an ideal opportunity to meet with some of the industry’s biggest players and watch 3D printers and services in action.
The event will tackle 3D printing’s impact on food, fashion, art, architecture, design, engineering, weapons, and more. Sessions include: The XYZs of 3D Scanning: Making Reality Digital, Policy Considerations for Additive Manufacturing, Robots Will Make Your Food, 3D Concrete Printing: Full Scale Additive Manufacturing in Architecture and Construction, and 3D Printed Firearms: Additive Manufacturing Meets Hobbyist Gunsmithing. View the full program here.
Keynote presentations will be given by Congressman Bill Foster of the 11th Congressional District of Illinois, Scott Crump, Founder and Chairman of the Board at Stratasys, and Avi Reichental, President & CEO of 3D Systems.
Additional speakers include Mike Vasquez, Additive Manufacturing Technology & Material Specialist, Julie Friedman Steele of The 3D Printer Experience, and Michael Guslick of HaveBlue.org.
You’ll also hear from the designer and architect who created style icon Dita von Teese’s intricate 3D printed dress. Francis Bitonti and Michael Schmidt will discuss 3D printing’s impact on the fashion and art industries, as well as the creative opportunities which exist with innovative materials and techniques.
Save $250 off on-site prices! Enter our code ON3D and register before this Friday.
Only 3 Days Left to Enter CGTrader’s 3D Printing Competition
Competition Ends June 30 – Win an Ultimaker 3D Printer from CGTrader
As we reported in may, 3D model marketplace CGTrader is hosting a 3D printing competition, looking for innovative 3D printable models. Winning submissions will receive great prizes, including two Ultimaker 3D printers, 3D prints, gift cards from Sculpteo, Filaco, Stash, as well as an opportunity to sell designs in 3D printing store iMakr in London
In order to participate, designers need to create 3D printable models in .STL format and upload them for sale or download to CGTrader. Further information on the competition is available here: http://www.cgtrader.com/
The competition ends June 30, so submit your designs in the next 3 days!
Want to learn more? Read our full interview with the CGTrader team published in May 2013.
Tesco Hints at 3D Printing Coming to Retail
Will Tesco Introduce 3D Printing?
Retail giant Tesco is giving hints about its potential entrance into 3D printing.
In a blog post by Tesco Innovation Ambassador Paul Wilkinson, he shared his enthusiasm for 3D printing technology and hinted at how it could be introduced at Tesco.
So what does this all mean for Tesco then? Well I’m making no promises, but there are a few things I can predict for the future. We already print photos and posters in many of our larger stores, so why not other gifts and personalised items? How about letting kids design their own toys and then actually being able to get them made. What if we had a digital catalogue of spare parts for items that you’d bought? They could be printed on demand and ready for you by the time you’d finished your shopping. You could even take a broken item in to store; we could scan it in 3D, repair it digitally and make you a new one. The potential for 3D technology to revolutionise the way we view stores and what we can get from them is vast.
We’re pretty excited about 3D printing and we’ll be working hard to see how we might be able use it to make things better for customers. We won’t stop there though and as always we’re constantly seeking out the genuinely ‘next big thing.’ Up next I’ve got a trip to Silicon Valley – the heart of the technology industry, where as well as meeting some of the big names I’ll also be getting together with lots of start-ups and trying to find that idea or product that might just change the retail world. Watch this space to find out more about what I get up to.
With Staples already embracing 3D printing and many other retail shops introducing 3D printers and 3D printed goods on their shelves, will Tesco be the next to join the movement?
Photo of Paul Wilkinson’s desk from his blog post.
