Feb 9, 2016 | By Benedict
WobbleWorks, Inc., creator of the 3Doodler 3D printing pen, has unveiled a child-friendly version of its popular 3D drawing tool. The 3Doodler Start, marketed to 8-13-year-olds, will retail for $49.99.
There can be no doubt that desktop 3D printers have successfully ushered in a new age of digital creativity. The ability to 3D print solid objects from digital sketches in a matter of hours provides near-unlimited creative possibilities… for those who can afford, operate, and master a 3D printer. For the rest of us, 3D printing pens have offered a cheap and simple alternative to the complex software and machinery involved in the traditional 3D printing process. Although drawing “upwards” seems counter-intuitive at first, users of tools the 3Doodler and other such tools can soon get to grips with 3D scribbling, bringing handcrafted plastic masterpieces to desktops across the world.
With the 3Doodler Start, WobbleWorks is looking to bring that creative opportunity to a new, younger audience. Although the original 3Doodler didn’t exactly represent the height of artistic sophistication, it did fit comfortably in larger hands and required some careful evasion of the hot-end to avoid little burns. The 3Doodler Start dispenses with the conventional pen shape, turning the device into a shorter, fatter, sausage-like object, suitable for small hands. Weighing just under 1/4 lb (~91g) and measuring 5.4” by 1.4” (138mm (long) x 35mm (high) x 41mm (wide)), the turquoise doodling device can operate for 45 minutes per charge or run while plugged in via a micro-USB port.
As well as creating a safer and more ergonomic 3D printing pen - no hot parts, compliant with all EU & US toy safety standards - for kids, WobbleWorks has developed a non-toxic, biodegradable filament for the 3Doodler Start. “Our Eco-Plastic is made entirely from food-safe materials, is non-toxic, BPA-free, and completely biodegradable in your household compost,” the company explains. “The 3Doodler Start Eco-Plastic will break down in around 45 days when in contact with soil, so perhaps the one thing we can’t recommend you make with your 3Doodler Start is a real flower pot!”
Daniel Cowen, Co-Founder, said: "3Doodler Start inspires creativity, design, building and spatial understanding, opening up 3D creation to a whole new generation. This is not a fad toy; we believe that, like LEGO and now Minecraft, the 3Doodler Start will become part of every kid's upbringing.
"The core values of 3Doodler are creative freedom and limitless imagination, so it was a natural progression to create a pen for a younger audience. The 3Doodler Start provides the perfect educational platform for kids around the world and we cannot wait to see what the next generation creates."
As part of WobbleWorks commitment to getting kids involved with 3D printing, the 3Doodler Start experience involves more than just the 3D printing pen itself. The $49.99 bundle—currently available for a discounted $39.99 on the 3Doodler website—includes a USB charger, two packets of 3Doodler Start biodegradable Eco-Plastic filament, and a fun project book to help ignite the creative spark in each user. A $99.99 bundle—on sale for $79.99—contains eight packs of Eco-Plastic and eight unique “Doodleblocks”: 3D stencils to guide novice doodlers.
The discounted prices for the 3Doodler Start bundles will be available until March 9, with shipping expected to begin in May 2016. Let’s get doodling!
Simple and easy to use:
- Single temperature, single speed
- Click once on the main button to extrude the plastic automatically, click again to stop. Double click on the main button to reverse the plastic
Warm up time of only 30-40 seconds
- LED indicators to indicate warming up, ready, forward flow and reverse
Posted in 3D Printer
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