MakerBot wows with Mass-Market 3D Printer

One of the most fun things we saw at CES was the MakerBot booth, where the three founders of this growing company were demoing an inexpensive, open source 3D printer.

The MakerBot CupCake CNC uses ABS plastic to print virtually any 3D shape, from whistles to Han Solo’s face encased in carbonite. The MakerBot comes in kit form that they say takes two people two days to assemble. An active online community shares design models and user support, and it prints from widely available open-source software.

The MakerBot measures 12x12x18-inches, and is made out of laser-cut quarter-inch plywood. The kit sells for $950.