Origo is creating a 3D printer for kids. The idea is kids can design their own toys using a very simple, PC-based drawing application and then make them out of plastic using the printer.
The picture on the right is an artist's rendering of their 3D Printer.
For those not familiar with 3D printing, my favorite description comes from a New York Times article on the topic from about 18 months ago:
A 3-D printer, which has nothing to do with paper printers, creates an object by stacking one layer of material — typically plastic or metal — on top of another, much the same way a pastry chef makes baklava with sheets of phyllo dough.
Long ago when I was a kid I had a similar product that used a very different technology - Mattel's Vac-U-Form.
I had asked my parents for a Thing Maker, which made creepy crawlers. But the Vac-U-Form was cheaper and my raised-in-the-depression era parents saw no reason to spend the extra $8 bucks just because it was my birthday.
Not that I'm still mad at them, but creepy crawlers were so much cooler.
We've long followed 3D printers. They've been around several decades, but due to technology improvements and price drops they're getting a lot more notice these days. Our 3D Printing Comes of Age post provides an overview of 3D printers and links to other resources on the topic.
The Singularity Hub has more on Origo's 3D printer.
Oh, I SO want a Vac U Form.....
Posted by: Duann | October 17, 2011 at 06:54 AM
This is pretty awesome. Imagine kids making pieces of legos out of a printer like this.
Posted by: flyer printing san diego | November 03, 2011 at 02:31 AM
I never would have thought printing services like this could be something I could do at home. Let alone something kids would do on their own!
Posted by: printing services | January 15, 2012 at 09:40 PM