Mattel, one of the world’s biggest toy makers and the name behind things such as ThingMaker, Hot Wheels and Barbie dolls has now come up with the toy 3D printer that prints toys. The new printer and its app actually take on the name that the 60s creation did, adopting the title of ThingMaker once more. The set was announced last Monday at New York’s Toy Fair and it has been made in collaboration with Autodesk.
For anyone interested to set loose their kids’ imaginations with a 3D printer and respective app that lets them create their own, personalized toys, you can already head out to Amazon US and preorder a unit for $299.
Sadly however, there isn’t an infinite number of possibilities when it comes to actual printing toys, as the app that you need to pair the printer with does have its own library of items you can use to build your own version of a toy. You can make use of a number of templates in order to create you preferred doll for example, as soon as you’ve paired the printer with your smartphone.
Once you’ve selected all the customizable details of your toy and you’re all set to print, the 3D printer will begin to print out parts of the doll in batches. The parts come with easy assembly assist, by printing out parts that display ball and socket joints that anyone can just put together in a matter of minutes.
And this is only what will be available in first phase. Eventually, the ThingMaker 3D Printer and ThingMaker Design app will hold more than just a few customizing options, adding filament color options as well as other branded variants later into the product’s life. And considering this is the first of its kind, there’s no telling when devices such as the ThingMaker will start printing even more complex things.
The entire printing process does take a fair amount of time but manages to print out as many as 20 figurines, 30 pieces of jewelry or 100 rings with just 1 kilogram spool of plastic. Basically, once you have selected every detail regarding the doll or toy you wish to print, you can send the command and let it print overnight.
Even if the ThingMaker is a toy designed for children 13 and above, it still has a tight and safe build that will not risk any sort of risk to kids operating it. The printer’s doors lock automatically while it’s printing and it won’t expose any delicate or heating up parts to external contact.
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Michael Turner
