The
world’s first compact 3D printer that can also scan items, creating their
digitized models, has been unveiled in the US. The US$2,200 device, created in
Singapore with the help of a crowdfunding campaign, doesn’t require much
knowledge of 3D software.
Blacksmith
Group start-up at Nanyang Technological University's (NTU Singapore) launched
the world's first compact 3D printer-cum-scanner at the American Association
Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in San Jose, California on
Saturday.
The
all-in-one device, named the Blacksmith Genesis, lets users scan any item, edit
the digitized model on the computer and print it out in 3D. Its production was
financed through a successful crowdfunding campaign, that raised US$80,000, and
its US supporters will be able to get it as early as March.
Blacksmith Genesis is housed in a black aluminium casing with an innovative
rotary platform, which allows 360-degrees scanning, unlike other commercial 3D
printers. It weighs 6 kilograms and features a 2-inch LCD display, 5 megapixel
camera, Wi-Fi, an integrated SD-card reader and a USB connection for instant
printing, according to the press-release.
“We
designed Blacksmith Genesis with the average hobbyist in mind. Most 3D printers
sold on the market now are not really user-friendly as their 3D models and
blueprints usually have to be designed from scratch on the computer,”
the company’s CEO Fang Kok Boon said.
“However, with our device, 3D printing will be
fuss-free as users won't need to design an original work from scratch as they
can just use our Blacksmith Sorcerer 3D software. By scanning any physical
item, they can immediately copy and print the item or use the digitised object
as a base to form their own 3D object,” he added.
The
in-built camera of the device also allows remote live monitoring and automatic
error detection. It means that with a smartphone connected to the internet a
user can control the printing process, no matter where he is.
NTU Singapore’s Professor
Chua Chee Kai, the world’s top scientist in 3D printing, who mentors the
company, said “Blacksmith Genesis … is a
great example of how scientists can bring innovations from the lab to the
industry and in this case, all the way into consumers' homes. It has always
been my wish that 3D printers will be as common as the inkjet and laser
printers now found in many homes and offices.”
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