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One of the first and most affordable home 3D printers has just closed its funding round on Kickstarter, raising $1,438,765 – eclipsing its $100,000 target.
Billed as “the easiest to use 3D printer in the world” the Buccaneer fromPirate3D will be shipped to its backers at the end of the year for the swashbuckling price of just $347.
Already assembled and calibrated the set-up time is far quicker than most 3D printers. The objects that you can choose to print are stored in a cloud-based library of objects – its aptly named Treasure Island – which when downloaded into the user interface can be reshaped and remodelled with little or no 3D design experience using Smart Objects.
Pirate3D are clear that their printer is unlikely to remain the cheapest on the market for long, and that copies of it are inevitable. For this reason their placing a big emphasis on their Smart Object software. They will allow other printer manufacturers to use the Smart Object platform, and users will be encouraged to come together in the community and create and share items they’ve designed.
James Barnes, StatusCake.com
James Barnes
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