3D printers come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve seen some that can apparently be used to print a house, and we’ve also seen how 3D printers can be used to print skull implants, so safe to say there are many uses for such gadgets. Now if you’re not looking to print a house or medical implants, you might be interested in the Micro 3D printer, a 3D printer whose Kickstarter project managed to hit its goal in an impressive 11 minutes.
Dubbed the “first true consumer 3D printer”, it seems that the Micro has long exceeded its original goal of $50,000 and at this time of posting, is sitting on $680,000 worth of funding. As you can see in the image above, the Micro 3D printer is pretty small and unassuming. In fact it’s actually smaller than your regular printer which means you should have no trouble finding a place for it in your home or office.
In fact its size is one of the 15 innovations that its creators claim to have made. Other innovations on the list includes the ability to print very quietly, consume low amounts of power, automatic leveling and calibration, and a touch-capable software that will do away with clunky UIs that are typically associated with 3D printers. Instead the software will be pretty clean and minimal and will even support touch-input which will be great for people working on Windows 8 devices with touchscreens.
“3D printer software should be as fun and futuristic as the printer itself. That’s why we’ve designed the M3D software to be as interactive and enjoyable as a game, making sure it’s fully touchscreen-capable with a minimalist and simple-to-use interface. It allows you to search and browse countless objects online, organizing 3D models you’ve downloaded into an easy to view library. Just pick a model, drag it into the printer, adjust the model if needed, and hit <print>. Software shouldn’t be a barrier to 3D printing, and it’s our goal to make The Micro accessible to everyday users.”
It definitely sounds like a pretty awesome device and for those who missed out on the early bid prices, the printer can still be pre-ordered for $299. If you’d like to learn more about the 3D printer or to pledge your donation, hit up its Kickstarter page for the details. So, who’s planning on getting their hands on it?
Filed in . Read more about 3D Printing, Crowdfunding and Kickstarter.