 |
| World’s first compact rotary 3-D printer-scanner |
With production funded by crowdsourcing, the first unit will be delivered to the United States in March.
Nanyang Technological University's (NTU Singapore) start-up
Blacksmith Group today launched the world's first compact 3D printer
that can also scan items into digitised models.
Named the Blacksmith Genesis, this user-friendly device allows users
without much knowledge of 3D software to scan any item, then edit the
digitised model on the computer and print it out in 3D.
The all-in-one 3D printer and scanner whose production was financed
through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. com, was unveiled today at
the American Association Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting
in San Jose, California.
The first batch is now ready to be shipped out in March to early
adopters who supported Blacksmith Group's crowdfunding campaign.
Innovative design with several firsts
Housed in a black aluminium casing, the high-tech device weighing 6
kilograms features a 2-inch LCD display, Wi-Fi, an integrated SD-card
reader and a USB connection for instant printing.
Blacksmith Genesis uses an innovative rotary platform for its
printing and scanning, unlike other commercial 3D printers. This
patent-pending revolving platform allows for true 360-degrees scanning,
and can print items up to 6,650 cm3 (about 6.5 litres), twice the size
of those printed by other similar-sized 3D printers in the market.
With a fine resolution of 50 micrometres, the reproductions will be
twice as detailed compared to other compact 3D printers. Likewise,
scanning of objects with its 5 megapixel camera takes only 6 minutes,
twice as fast as other 3D scanners in the market.
Blacksmith Genesis is also the first to feature remote live
monitoring and automatic error detection thanks to its in-built camera.
This allows users to monitor and control the printing process on their
smartphone from anywhere in the world through the Internet.
The device is the brainchild of Blacksmith Group's founders, NTU
engineering graduate Dr Alex Pui Tze Sian and Mr Fang Kok Boon. Mr Fang,
CEO of Blacksmith Group, said their aim is to make 3D printing easy and
accessible to the average consumers.
"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.
"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."
Start-up mentored by top scientist in 3D printing
"3D printing is a disruptive innovation that has revolutionised the
manufacturing and biomedical industries," Prof Chua said. "While
low-cost 3D printers are available, they are still very hard to
programme and assemble. Having an affordable, high-quality 3D printer
that is easy to use is what the market is missing and this is where
Blacksmith Group will bridge the gap," he added.
"Blacksmith Genesis with its unique rotary platform design 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."
The start-up had successfully completed their crowdsourcing campaign
last August, raising over US$80,000. It is funded by the Interactive
Digital Media (IDM) Jump-start and Mentor programme (i.JAM), and the
National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore.
The Blacksmith Genesis is now available for pre-order online at the
price of US $2,200, with a flat rate of US $150 for shipping to 70
countries worldwide.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Nanyang Technological University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
