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by jvanderbot 736 days ago
Raw materials aside, a tiny printer can go places a large printer cannot. Space? Deep sea? Inside other machines? Or on the tip of a robotic arm to do print little parts right onto their permanent place like a spider placing silk? Who knows!? 99% sure the "in your pocket" statement is more like "smaller than a breadbox", as in, it's plain-as-day comparisons of size, not use.
1 comments
robust-cactus 736 days ago
The size of the printing mechanism is an innovation for sure, but I think after you add up all the other components to make a functioning printer you end up at nearly the same size: a resin vat, space to print, various leveling mechanisms, filters, UV light shield etc - the form factor doesn't really change all that much.
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jvanderbot 736 days ago
If you think 3D printing is always going to be on a flat bed of the same size using the same amounts of material, then yeah, minimizing the printing mechanism sure seems like a non-necessary improvement. But that's not the intended use case anyway. It can only print small things. Maybe it can add tiny details or structures to large prints though
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araes 736 days ago
> Maybe it can add tiny details or structures to large prints though

Combine it with their rather enthusiastic article on printing your own children

https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/elegoo-making-3d-pr...

> Just imagine printing a piece of furniture, a near life-size statue, ...

"Such a lifelike figurine, with real plastic spaceship accessory"

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zPi4gpbczzvoGR34Rds7D8-120...

If the Galaxy Quest aliens happen to glance this way lately...

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robust-cactus 736 days ago
Hmmmm interesting. I can see a use case for like a drone or small robot to have one of these attached to add details all over the place. Ok you've convinced me it's cool lol
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dgacmu 736 days ago
Imagine the equivalent of endoscopy: being able to insert a small tube inside of an object and print structures larger than the tube inside of them.

Obviously, that requires a lot more than just this, but it's intriguing to think about being able to perform internal repairs of nearly-sealed objects.

Or print a kitten inside a bottle, for those old enough to catch the bonsai kitten reference. ;)

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