MakerBot Seeks Real-World Copy and Paste with Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner

3D scanners seem to be all the rage this month. First, not one but two 3D scanner Kickstarter campaigns were launched, and now desktop 3D printer company MakerBot, recently acquired by Stratasys for $403 million, has announced it will start selling its Digitizer desktop 3D scanner next week.

We first covered the MakerBot Digitizer in March when CEO Bre Pettis kicked off South by Southwest (SXSW) with a big announcement that his company was developing real-world copy and paste.

In April, we visited the MakerBot store in New York and asked Pettis what’s the next big thing he’s working on? He answered immediately, “3D scanners.”

In June, MakerBot was acquired by 3D printing giant Stratasys for $403 million. Well, Pettis isn’t letting the innovation stop just because he has cashed out.

Next week, the MakerBot Digitizer goes on sale. Here are some of the key features:

• Simple, yet sophisticated software creates clean, watertight 3D models with just two clicks.
• Get a 3D digital design file in just minutes.
• No design skills, 3D modeling or CAD expertise required to get started.
• Outputs standard 3D design file formats that can be modified and improved in third-party 3D modeling programs, like Autodesk’s free software MeshMixer.
• Easily upload your unique scans directly to Thingiverse.com.

Stay tuned for more news about the Digitizer or visit MakerBot’s store for more details.

3D Printing News

A roundup of the top 3D printing news from May 1 to May 4:

Wednesday, May 1

• $200 MakiBox 3D Printer Competes at the Low End Market

Friday, May 3

• A Guide to Guest Posts for On 3D Printing

Saturday, May 4

• Video: iMakr 3D Printing Store Grand Opening in London

iMakr 3D Printing Store

In the video below, the iMakr 3D printing store opens in London. With 2,500 square feet of 3D printers and 3D printing fun, there was quite a crowd to see the grand opening.

Exhibits from Solidoodle, UP!, MakerBot, Cubify, Leapfrog and all the big names of desktop 3D printing were on site, plus models from 3D artists.

Here is the official press release from Solidoodle about the retail debut:

Solidoodle Makes Retail Debut at World’s Largest 3D Printer Store in UK

Brooklyn, NY — April 30, 2013 — Solidoodle, maker of the most affordable fully assembled 3D printers, is proud to announce its printers will be sold at iMakr, the world’s largest 3D printing retail store, located at 79 Clerkenwell Road in Central London.

iMakr announced its 3D printer lineup to include the Solidoodle 3rd Generation model at its grand opening event today. Solidoodle CEO Sam Cervantes was in attendance for the opening.

“3D printers are a rapidly expanding segment in the consumer electronics market,” says Cervantes. “iMakr is making a big splash in a major international city and we are glad to be a part of it. Working with distributor and retail partners will definitely help us satisfy the growing demand we’re seeing from the international public.”

Located in Farringdon, the heart of the designer district of London, iMakr is featuring some of the most popular brands of 3D printers, supplies and accessories and will cater to the needs of designers, architects, early adopters, hobbyists, jewelers and schools.

Solidoodle also announced, in late February, its plans for dedicated Solidoodle retail locations in Eastern Europe to open later this year.

Image via SolidSmack.

MakerBot Store in NYC Drives 3D Printer Sales

This past week at the Inside 3D Printing conference, the On 3D Printing team was invited to a special event at the MakerBot Store in NYC, along with other industry press.

We asked MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis what’s the next big thing he’s working on? He answered immediately, “3D scanners.” MakerBot announced its Digitizer product at SXSW and has a booth where you can digitize your own head. We gave it a try and our 3D printed profile is on order. See the photo below of one of the visitors scanning his head in the booth.

MakerBot’s motivation to open the store is to give potential customers a chance to see 3D printing in action. Does it increase sales of printers? “Absolutely,” one of the MakerBot employees told us. There is a certain magic to seeing a 3D printed robot or digitized head. You can immediately imagine what you might 3D print yourself.

We met some great entrepreneurs at the event as well, including the founder of Square Helper who prints his products on MakerBot 3D printers.

Below is a photo gallery from our visit.