Jon Hyland is an engineer who worked at IBM as an engineer before he transitioned into the fast paced world of independent robotics consulting. He has built a variety of robots (Sumobot, Microraptor, and WALL-E style robots) and shared the experience via his blog.
Jon recently bought a Dimension 3D printer to help move his projects along. The Dimension 3D printers start at $15,000 which is a significant investment, but there aren’t any less expensive alternatives. Desktop Factory wasn’t able to commercialize the $5K 3D printer and the MakerBot is affordable ($750), but not up to the task of fine modeling.
This is the emergence of the “prosumer” market. A dedicated hobbyist/semipro photographer might spend $20,000 on cameras, lenses, software and accessories. Three of the four major 3D printer manufacturers now have 3D printer models under $20,000. These won’t be as commonplace as an HP inkjets, but schools and some specialized individuals can now afford to buy these machines. Robotics programs and professionals are clear early adopters, but I wonder what different types of users can do with these machines.
Thanks to Fabbaloo for the tip.
