MakerBot reveals 3D scanner for easy home 3D printing

Imagine a future where you take an object like a garden gnome, plonk it down on your desk, have it scanned in 3D and then print out another hundred of the little creepy fellows.

That’s the future MakerBot could very well make a reality with its newly unveiled Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner prototype. It looks set to propel home 3D printing from enthusiast to mainstream territory, and we can’t wait.

No design experience, no expensive CAD software. Just a 3D scanner which gives objects a full 360 degree once-over before converting them into a digital 3D, printable representation.

MakerBot has only just unveiled the prototype at South By Southwest in Austin but there’s no word on pricing or release dates at the moment. We’ll be keeping a very close eye for any news, so stay tuned.

Check out our interview with the head of the 3Doodler 3D printing pen to keep your 3D printed appetites satisfied in the meantime.

[MakerBot via Engadget]

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Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home