Makerbot Digitiser launch unleashes portable 3D scanner
3D printing enthusiasts now have a new toy to play with following the launch of the Makerbot Digitiser, a desktop scanner now on general sale.
Retailing at £900 the gizmo allows its owners to scan small objects in minute detail using lasers, allowing exact reproductions to be fabricated on a 3D printer without the need to use complex 3D modelling software.
Demand for the device has already overloaded the firm’s website since its release on Thursday evening with backers saying it has the potential to revolutionise industry.
Others are more sceptical however, believing that the technology is massively overhyped and isn’t capable of accurately copying anything which is shiny, reflective or fuzzy.
Early adopters will begin receiving their machines in October whereupon they will have the ability to upload their scans to a custom website to be shared with other users.
In a statement the firm said: “The MakerBot Digitizer is for early adopters, experimenters, and visionaries who want to be pioneers in Desktop 3D Scanning.
"This includes, but is not limited to, architects, designers, creative hobbyists, educators, and artists."