Tag Archives: SXSW

MakerBot Announces Availability of Desktop 3D Scanner MakerBot Digitizer

MakerBot Digitizer 3D Printing

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.

Top 3D Printing News Last Week: SXSW, MakieLab, Cube, Kickstarter

3D Printed Toys MakieLab SXSW

A roundup of the top 3D printing news from March 11 to March 17:

Monday, March 11

Video: 3D Systems Attaches Cube 3D Printer to Person at SXSW

3D Systems Cube SXSW 3D Printer

At SXSW, 3D Systems showed off their Cube 3D printers in a creative way: by strapping 3D printers to people and walking around the conference while printing.

In the video below, a man from Cubify demos 3D printing from with a Cube attached to his body.

 

Photo by Luc Van Braekel used under Creative Commons license.

3D Printing Future is Bright, Say Industry Leaders on SXSW Panel

SXSW Future of 3D Printing

The 3D printing future is bright. That was the consensus of industry leaders on a panel at SXSW this year in Austin, Texas. The show kicked off with MakerBot’s Bre Pettis unveiling the new MakerBot Digitizer 3D scanner and closed with 3D printed toys producer MakieLab winning the SXSW Accelerator top prize.

CNET’s Rich Brown hosted a panel on “The Future of 3D Printing“, featuring 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental, MakieLab CEO Alice Taylor, and Bespoke Innovations founder Scott Summit.

The panel discussed three topics:

  1. Business opportunities
  2. IP and copyright issues
  3. General thoughts about the industry

 

Key takeaways

Reichental discussed how 3D printing is already powering major industries. He noted that hearing aids are manufactured using 3D printing, many dental implants are 3D printed, and parts used in military jets and drones are created using 3D printing as well. 3D Systems has a partnership from the military to increase the number of 3D printed parts to 900 for the next generation jet.

While 3D Systems is a large public company, Taylor and Summit represented their experience in their respective startups. 3D printing enabled them to get manufacturing intensive businesses to market without incurring dramatic capital expenses. The things that kill startups – time to market, upfront costs, and inventory costs – go away with 3D printing.

Intellectual property concerns were somewhat dismissed by the panel, suggesting that piracy is simply a demonstration of market demand and loyalty. Summit argued that a larger risk for piracy is the counterfeit mass production of goods in China.

Likewise, the hype around 3D printed guns was suggested to be overplayed by the media and not a real risk. Taylor suggested it will continue to be easier to buy a gun than print one.

Looking to the future, the panelists commented on 4D printing (3D printing with functionality) and 5D printing (voxel manufacturing) as revolutionary directions the technology could go, while also acknowledging that there are real limitations with respect to materials and cost today.

The panel also suggested that prices of consumer 3D printers would fall as competition increased.

 

Tweets

 

 

Original panel description from SXSW

No longer is it necessary to create a mold and make 10,000 of an item in order to get it produced. Today, 3D printing allows almost anyone to create just about design they can imagine. The technology is being used to make everything from toys to motorcycles to airplane parts, and even houses, as well as incredible medical advances . Where is the tech going? Some think it can make new parts for the International Space Station. Others see it as a way for designers to make money selling 3D models.

What’s clear is that production will never be the same. The question is whether the technology behind creating 3D printed products can really be democratic, or if truly high-end production will remain in the hands of a skilled — and monied — few.
Experts in the field will share their thoughts on the state of the art, and where this exciting tech is likely to go in the years to come. CNET Reviews editor Rich Brown, who has been writing about 3D printing for years, will moderate.

 

Photo by William Hertling.

3D Printed Toys Company MakieLab Wins SXSW Accelerator

3D Printed Toys MakieLab SXSW

3D printed toys company MakieLab won the SXSW Accelerator top prize for the entertainment and gaming technology category this year.

Based out of London, MakieLab creates Makies™, the world’s first customisable and poseable 3D-printed doll.

Following a live pitch by MakieLab’s CEO, Alice Taylor, the Shoreditch-based start-up joined the winners’ circle from what judges agreed was an extremely strong field in this year’s competition, which highlights companies with fresh ideas, strong creative vision and exceptional business potential. Over 500 total submissions were received for the 2013 SXSW Accelerator, culminating in awards for seven of the web’s most exciting new innovations across Web, Mobile, Social, Entertainment/Gaming, News, Health and Music categories.

“We are delighted, humbled and grateful to the wonderful people of SXSW for this award,” said Taylor. “We’ve had the most amazing five days here, and this finale is the icing on the cake. It seems to be the year of 3D printing: Bre Pettis keynoting, Bruce Sterling wearing a 3D-printed Bruce Sterling around his neck… it’s fantastic, and we’re very much enjoying being part of this movement!”

Over 20,000 unique digital Makies have been created at www.makie.me. In February, Makies became the world’s first 3D-printed toy to earn the CE mark, certifying them as safe for kids aged 3 and up. Makies Doll Factory, MakieLab’s free build-a-doll app for iPad, was released earlier this month and is available now in the App Store.

MakieLab launched in May 2012 and raised $1.4 million in funding in June 2012.

MakieLab Raises Seed Funding

To learn more about MakieLab and Makies, visit www.makie.me or www.makielab.com.

 

Photo by MakieLab used under Creative Commons license.