Tag Archives: Austin

Kickstarter 3D Printer – re:3D Crowdfunded Large Format 3D Printer

Gigabot 3D Printer Kickstarter

Dream big, print big! Affordable, large-format 3D printing for your home or business.

Kickstarter 3D printers seem to be growing in popularity.

re:3D is a 3D printing startup based in Austin developing large format 3D printers. While traditional desktop 3D printers like MakerBot have a relatively small build area, re:3D has 30x the volume at over 8 cubic feet. The re:3D team sees the potential for social entrepreneurship by printing objects like rain barrels in the developing world.

re:3D launched a Kickstarter project and has already exceeded their crowdfunding goal of $40,000. Here is what they say on their project page:

At re:3D, we believe that the biggest problems in our world are solved by taking a bigger view. That’s why our project is aimed at designing the first large-format 3D printer… that you can take home with you. It’s not only about taking the amazing technology of 3D printing and amplifying it. If we’re successful, we can envision entire markets opening up to use this technology. Markets which have struggled to maintain the status quo, let alone use some of the cutting-edge technology that for the rest of the world is an overnight delivery away. We believe that by making a production-quality model of our 3D printer, and putting it in the hands of small businesses anywhere on the planet, will give them the flexibility to sustain their community, their business, and ultimately, the world we live in.

Below is their Kickstarter pitch.

 

Via HackThings.

MakerBot Kicks Off SXSW by Unveiling 3D Scanner: Real World Copy-Paste

MakerBot Digitzer 3D Printing

“It is the best time to get into hardware.” – Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot.

At the annual SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis kicked off the show with a big announcement: the unveiling of the MakerBot Digitizer. Though only a prototype, Pettis promises that the Digitizer will enable copy and paste for the physical world. “It’s like Tron,” he told the audience. You can scan an object in 3 minutes and then print out a copy.

Pettis continued, “The MakerBot Digitizer is a great tool for archiving, prototyping, replicating, and digitizing prototypes, models, parts, artifacts, artwork, sculptures, clay figures, jewelry, etc. If something gets broken, you can print it again.”

MakerBot has setup a website where you can sign up to learn more about the Digitizer.

In addition, Pettis announced that MakerBot will be partnering with Autodesk, the makers of iPad app 123D Catch, the current leading consumer 3D scanning tool.

Autodesk 123D at Google IO