Best of CES awards
Which 3D Printing project will scoop the award?
To think but three years ago there were just a handful of 3D printers at International CES, now, not only does it have its own marketplace with over 40 exhibitors but it has a section in the officially Endgadget awards too under the Best Maker-Friendly Technology category.
There are three 3D printing finalists in the running for the accolade and it must be said there’s not much of a surprise not necessarily from our industry stand-point but certainly in terms of what has captured the thoughts of the 150,000 odd people through the doors.
The first finalist is MakerBot’s composite filaments. Though certainly not the first company to produce composite filaments (Laywood stretches back three or four years) MakerBot’s closed-source Smart Extruder will ensure that very little tinkering has to be done in order to print with metal, wood and clay like materials.
Second up is the 3Doodler 2.0; what do you do when you’ve created a multi-award winning product that appeals to a mass market and has sold plenty? Rest on your laurels? Not on your nelly! 3Doodler has made a host of improvements to the world’s first 3D printing pen. It is lighter, more efficient, faster (or slower depending on what your needs are), uses considerably less power and it just generally looks a heck of a lot better.
Last but by no means least is 3D Systems CocoJet chocolate 3D printer. A partnership with Hersheys has led to the printer being launched here at CES 2015. It has tongues a-wagging and mouths a-watering.
This editor’s prediction for a winner? Probably the CocoJet as food 3D printing has been somewhat of a trend at this CES and this is possibly the best example of that on display apart from the ChefJet but hey that was soooo… 2014.
I predict a riot... sorry that letter "i" slipped in there. I predict a rot, a lot of tooth rot.