The pen is quickly becoming mightier than the sword — and we don't mean metaphorically. Name one sword that can translate words as you swing it around. Yeah, we thought so.
Now a start-up called WobbleWorks is producing the 3Doodler, a pen that spits out plastic and allows you to pretty much draw in three dimensions (hence its name). It functions like a combination of a real pen and a 3D printer — once you lift your pen from the paper, the molten plastic will go with it, and stay in the air.
The reason this works is because it uses molten plastic (1 foot of sculpture for every 11 feet of plastic stick) extruded out of a tip at around 270° C, but a fan cools the plastic rapidly, allowing it to maintain its shape. The company also has stencils, which would allow users to create more complex sculptures, such as the Eiffel Tower.
The company launched a Kickstarter Tuesday Feb. 19 to raise $30,000 toward the development program (it has raised nearly $200,000 in a matter of hours), with an offer of 3Doodlers to people who donate at least $50, although that special is now gone.
Anyone who donated $125 will receive a 3D sculpture created specially by an artist on Etsy. The four people who donated $1,000 or more will receive beta versions of the 3Doodler, will help test the product, and once it's in production will receive a final version of the product.
WobbleWorks spokesman Daniel Cowan told NewScientist that the company may be developing a battery-powered version of the pen for on-the-go use, although because of its heating function, it uses up energy very quickly.
A food version could also be in the works, Cowan said, as soon as they work out the food-safety kinks. The pen could in theory be used to melt down sticks of sugar to create complicated lattice works, though sugar probably won't hold up as well as plastic in the end product. Other projects include a headband with movable ears, a platform that can assist in walking and animatronic dinosaurs.
Read more: Ivy Guide Turns Your Pens Into Polyglots
