Imagine a world where you could dream up a new toy, piece of jewelry, or pretty much anything else you wanted and then walk to the corner store and have it printed right before your very eyes.
A new pop-up 3D printing emporium in New York City's fashion district called 3DEA is giving visitors a glimpse into that future. After walking into the colorful 3DEA store, located at the Eventi Hotel on the corner of 29th St. and 6th Ave., the first thing you'll probably say is "wow." Few people have, after all, seen a working 3D printer up close and personal.
In the front window sit a dozen aqua-colored Ultimaker-brand 3D printers. Look closely and you'll see the devices are actually, layer by layer, working to construct various items.
When I visited the store this week, one of the Ultimaker machines was plugging away at a hot pink model of a human brain, while another was working on what looked like an orange troll doll. For a full tour of the store, check out the slideshow below.
The store feels somewhat like an interactive exhibit, though you can purchase a selection of 3D-printed items, and order the actual 3D printers, which start at $850 for the compact Up! Mini. There's also a "3D Genius Bar," where you can sit down with someone knowledgeable about 3D printing and tell them your idea, which they can have printed.
For $1 a pop, you can draw your own design on an iPad, using an app called Doodle 3D, then watch as it's printed out on the Ultimaker. After it's done, you can take it home, or add it as an ornament to the in-store Christmas tree.
Also on display at the store are various 3D-printed items from artists, ranging from futuristic-looking high heels and elegant sterling silver jewelry to tiny toy cars and ceramic teacups. Those over 18 can check out the store's back room, dubbed "sexy objects," which features rows of neon-colored adult toys.
3DEA was born out of a collaboration between marketing firm Openhouse and the Eventi Hotel, along with the 3D printing companies Ultimaker, UP!, and Shapeways. Arthur Young-Spivey, who manages the store, said its mission is to teach people about the futuristic technology.
"3DEA is here to help expose consumers, the public, and professionals who are all interested in the technology and its capabilities from 3D printing and scanning, to software," Young-Spivey said. "We are covering the full range of services, and from a retail aspect, people can actually purchase the 3D printers as well."
The store will be open from now through Dec. 27 at the Eventi Hotel, at 835 6th Ave. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
If you can't make it before the 27th, don't fret. Young-Spivey said the response to 3DEA has been so great that the companies are actually planning to revamp the store and bring it back in January. "This started as a pop-up store, but it's gotten such spectacular reviews that we are actually going to continue," he said.
3D printing company Makerbot also has a Manhattan store at 298 Mulberry. The company recently unveiled its next-gen 3D printer, the Replicator 2, which will set you back $2,199.
3D printers and Makerbot were in the news this week amidst reports of printable guns.
Acording to Fortune, Makerbot has deleted 3D gun blueprints from its Thingiverse website, which hosts 3D-printable files.
In October, meanwhile, printer firm Stratasys revoked a 3D-printing lease for Cody Wilson's WikiWeapon Project, which raised $20,000 in a grassroots online campaign for printable guns.
Source: PCmag
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