World's Smallest 3-D Printer Could Find Its Way Into Your Home

Sounds like a great product for print new scrbble, puzzle, model pieces etc. What baffles me is why the author thinks it should be placed on the kitchen counter?

well, you have to put it SOMEWHERE. why not the kitchen counter, where it can make lumps of sugar, or cubes of instant coffee, or other things. or maybe the author builds models on his counter. it's actually quite common.

what I want to know is if you can load it with whatever, or if you have to buy special materiel packets to load it with.

3D printers printing 3D printers. it never ends!

Very cool, but very limited due to scale.

There are already a few small diy 3D printers on the market, all a little larger and possibly a little less resolution but to print functional objects you are currently better off using an online 3D printing service like www.shapeways.com where the scale of possibility is larger and material options range from plastics to stainless steel, silver and ceramics..

Disclaimer: I do work for Shapeways, converted from obsessive user:)

Could somone please answer me. What are we gonna be looking at 10 years from now when it comes to 3d printers? Cause if they can already do this right now then what will they be doing just a decade out?

@-my name here-
Did you read the article? 3D printers only print in the material(s) that they are built for, in this case resin.

KatieSaucey had a good point, as these prnters would be of much more use in a home office or garage.

@RayKurzweil
3D printers have been around for at least 15 years. I'll hazard a guess at a 5 year Moore's Law cycle. So you might get a cheap 3D printer for $500USD, but metal printers will still be unaffordable.

I notice there is no mention of the data input format/file type. Will they have their own custom kit, or use some existing standard? ASTM E2807, *.m, .x, 3ds, etc..etc... Most if not all 3d design packages have a pretty steep learning curve for the average joe, if this ever does go mass market I think the software will make it or break it.

Had a good feeling they were going to make something like this.And I think its the greatest invention Ive seen in a long while.Even had a few ideas for it.Of course this thing could be used for just about anything.First thing is first.We need a 3D program to go with it.Very nice and user friendly.You even might need to add your very own network to these things,and I don't only mean data,but for materials as well.A mixer box that contains cartriges of sort to choose different materials that you can buy or make yourself.Purchase models online, like cellphones and toy figures.Now if only we could have a 3D scanner.

This would be great for making patterns for metal casting. I think it would be great for independent inventors also. I don't think it would be going on my kitchen counter either. Our technology is surpassing humanity. We need a better education system to catch up.

...In walks the Xbox 360/PS3/Wii/PC Gaming Word and introduces a brand new method for all of these disconnected youth to show their prowess by granting them tangible bragging rights by printing out all of their in-game accolades in the form of Branded Badges and Signature Trophies.

It'd definitely need good software if the average person is to use this. I have my doubts on that aspect.

This would be great for modelers. Not only could we use it to reproduce broken/missing peices but, the companies themselves could get in on this. Need a part? Pay say 99 cents to download the premade file to print it. Offer a kit package where you get maybe enough resin to print the whole kit and files to do so. They would have to come up with a way to stop pirating of the files though. If they could work out the bugs, then it would breathe life into out of print kits.

Something funny and odd is about this picture. I can't but feel these 2 men, gave birth to this new electronic device and they are both the proud parents. How, sweet!

Oh yes, it can poop in 3D too!

What those guys need to do is print themselves new haircuts. And maybe a new sweater for the guy on the left.

Once again, I can see quite a stir happening when people are able to reproduce commercially manufactured goods themselves. Can you imagine downloading an "open source" transmission part for your Toyota? Or perhaps just pirating the software to rebuild your engine. With total n00bs building 2w IR lasers out of spare computer parts, I can forsee a future in which people are able to fabricate just about anything out of their own homes if given the initial materials.
Happy Hacking!

"The team says the prototype is "no bigger than a carton of milk," about 3.3 pounds in weight, and can be sold for 1200 Euros (about $1,700 USD). The size and price are both flexible, and could go down if the printer sees mass demand..........It's not hard to imagine a 3-D printer on every counter, alongside the food processor and coffee machine. In fact, it's great fun to imagine that." This is an awesome innovation, no doubt it will soon reach everywhere, people will start using it in a great way, its highly beneficial for all merchants............ Great technology! - Apptha.

Once this 3D printer electronics becomes selfware and can build replicas of itself, we human kind are all doomed!

Could someone enlighten me as to the current state of 3D printing technology? I know we can print some organs but how many? I'm really only aware of ceramics and plastics being used so far, and I'm trying to figure out the breadth of things that could be printed with these.

.... Yes the Replicator # 1 make it so !