Kickstarted 3Doodler: It's a pen, it's a 3D printer

WobbleWorks' 3Doodler 3D printing pen

(Credit: WobbleWorks)

If 3D printers seem too expensive, or too technically complex, WobbleWorks' 3Doodler 3D printing pen looks like a budget- and user-friendly alternative. It also looks like a ton of fun.

The idea behind the 3Doodler is that it takes the core functionality of a 3D printer, essentially an extruder and a heat source, and jams it into a pen-shaped handheld device. Loaded with either ABS or PLA plastic, common feedstock for traditional 3D printers, the 3Doodler "prints" plastic objects by letting you draw them in freehand in three-dimensional space.

The brainchild of WobbleWorks, a robotic toy company formed in 2011, the 3Doodler came to light today after its Kickstarter campaign met its $30,000 funding goal within its first few hours. The project has pulled in over $150,000 from more than 1,700 backers as of this writing, with only 33 days to go in its campaign.

With so many backers, the $50 entry point for the first round of 3Doodler's has already sold out. The $75 spot has around 1,600 units left, with upper tiers of $99 and up that get you the pen and various extras like additional bags of printing feedstock, or even desi... [Read more]