Jan.27, 2012
Often we hear people asking "what can those cheap 3D printers make?" Or "is it just an expensive toy for hobbyist and makers?" These are the questions that the Pocket Factory project would like to answer.
For one month, Alex Hornstein and Bilal Ghalib are driving around the US with four cheap 3D printers in the trunk of their Prius. They started the Pocket Factory project aiming to design and sell products made with low-cost 3D printers.
On their way, they set up their print shop in the day, or head to local workshop and hacker spaces to meet other hobbyists, makers, creatives, and hackers. In the evening they design and make new products. They write down their successes and failures from their experiences and keep open accounts and notes of their product development with the intention of making it easy for others to replicate their efforts.
"3D printing is a fantastic technology, but we think it's more than just a technology: we think it can enable a future where people can easily create and maintain things in their homes, where people can solve the problems of others in their communities, where countless micro-enterprises can sprout up overnight, and where the only thing standing between a problem and a solution is a good idea and the print button."
Often people on the way asked what was in their trunk. And they were excited seeing this new technology and the possibility of making their own piece of toy, IPhone accessories or 3D portraits.
We often divide the 3D printing market into two: Professional users and hobbyist and makers. Obviously the majority of consumers has no clear idea about what 3D printer is. The Pocket Factory project pushes the boundaries of the industry by telling the stories of 3D printing and shows what it can make. That is exactly what people are searching - possibility of learning and seeing the serviceability of the technology.
Imagine you have an iphone and you would like to have a case for it. These two guys could print it on one of the printers in the trunk of their car right in front of you, and you could just choose the design and color you like, or with your initials into the case. Isn't it fascinating?
Alex Hornstein and Bilal Ghalib are in Salt Lake City at the moment. If you like their project you are welcome to join their journey to be a part of it. Just like Ilan Moyer, a designer and maker who is their new passenger and will be designing and printing with them through Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver.
Here is their schedule in the following days:
Salt Lake City: Jan.25~28, 2012
Denver: Jan.29~31, 2012
Kansas City: Feb.1~4, 2012
Chicago: Feb.5~7, 2012
Detroit: Feb.8~10, 2012
New York: Feb.11~13, 2012
Check out below this interesting and creative iGhettoblaster - the newest accessories they have created for IPhone that you can plug right into and clip on your iPhone case, and share your music!
Image courtesy of pocketfactory
Source: pocketfactory
Posted in 3D Printing Services
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