

3D printing pen lets you draw sculptures in thin air - ColinWright
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23183-3dprinting-pen-turns-doodles-into-sculptures.html

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Kliment
Their video says "patent pending technology". I already emailed the EFF's
patentbusters with a link to prior art.

It would be such an awesome thing if they weren't trying to take it away from
the rest of the world.

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leoedin
Are you completely against patents, or just against some?

The people who produced this have obviously spent a significant amount of time
working out how to make this possible. I haven't seen their patents, but I
doubt they're as generic as "A device which extrudes plastic in 3D space".
Have you read the patents they've submitted and actually found prior art for
the exact aspects of the design they've patented?

Patents are designed for this kind of thing. They allow these guys to sell the
results of their work without getting ripped off straight away by someone who
spent none of the money doing R&D and so just has to cover their costs.

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eaurouge
Clearly this 3D printing pen is innovative, but that does not necessarily
imply that it includes patentable inventions. The technology used looks like
FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printing extended to free hand, without
support material.

The key technology here that makes this 3D/air printing possible is the gooey
material that the pen releases. If this material has properties that other
existing materials do not have, then it may be patentable. Also if the pen
releases material in a manner that is new and novel, then it too may be
patentable.

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ericb
I more or less did this 2 weeks ago while testing the extruder for my 3d
printer (and I'm no pioneer here). I used Kliment's (parent of thread)
software to cause filament to extrude from my 3d printer's nozzle (the hot
end) while I tried to write letters to test it was working ok.

Now someone is trying to claim this "new technology" is patentable.

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nickpinkston
Haha - it's a fast/durable glue gun!*

I love when automated tools go manual. Here's a free-hand laser cutter:

[http://inventables.blogspot.com/2012/11/free-hand-laser-
cutt...](http://inventables.blogspot.com/2012/11/free-hand-laser-cutting.html)

*As was pointed out!

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antr
I was just going to say this was another glue gun. I remember in middle school
using glue guns to make shapes and "art" in art class.

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gokhan
Kickstarter page:

[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1351910088/3doodler-
the-...](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1351910088/3doodler-the-worlds-
first-3d-printing-pen)

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JumpCrisscross
The spatial integrity of the structure could be enhanced, perhaps, by using a
ferromagnetic "ink" inside a structure that moves and varies the strengths of
magnets to keep the material at the tip of the pen at its centre.

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jonny_eh
I never thought I'd say this seriously, but, those magnets, how do they work?

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JumpCrisscross
It's trivial to create a "magnetic well" with three to four strong magnets
balancing against each other at a fixed point, with gravity holding a
ferromagnetic object against it. Altering their directions and strengths would
allow that single-point "well" to move just behind the pen. If the hardened
material could withstand the force one would be able to prevent the drooping
witnessed in the video. I'm not sure how one would maintain multiple wells
simultaneously from a single plane. That or move the pen slower. Clearly,
magnets win.

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icoder
Great example of being original by taking something existing and changing one
aspect of it.

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AUmrysh
I want to see someone use this to print out a 3d structure in the same way a
3d printer does. Not that it would be efficient or sane, but it would look
really cool to see the infill and what not.

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lowglow
Reminds me a bit of working with hot glue guns, only quicker drying. I still
remember the first time I got hot glue on my hand while making a project in
elementary school.

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Aardwolf
Wow this is awesome! I've never seen something like this, and it seems to work
quite well!

I first thought this was going to be about some type of 3D mouse or kinect
thingie, but it's the actual physical real deal! :)

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maximem
Good! But that's not "3D printing" or even printing at all! ;) Maybe you could
have a 3D model and a robot could draw the "sculpture". Anyway, we want MORE !

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sdgsdgdsg
Reminds me of this: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hDdYClgoV8>

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luotuoshangdui
Just came to say this. I'm glad that there are some people who know the
Chinese sugar art. The video you linked is not very clear. Some suggestions
YouTube gives have a better perspective, for example this one:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQlQQDP6hNY>

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jpswade
I'd probably buy one if I could think of a practical application for one.

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Uncompetative
I'm very impressed by this.

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antoniuschan99
It's very prototype-ish but it looks real good!

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mediagearbox
This is freakin' awesome!

