Radar Nineteen: Makerbot

The sign on the door reads MakerBot industries. Inside, boxes line the floors and there is a flurry of activity. A light humming sound fills the air. Machines buzz as they print physical objects that merely minutes before were 3D renderings on a computer screen. This is Bre Pattis’ ‘Botcave’ and within its walls resides a startup that intends to change the face of printing. The MakerBot is a box-like unit that prints using thin plastic, which it lays down layer by layer. Eyeglass frames, wall brackets, tweezers, action figures even a 3D rendering of Walt Disney’s head are all possible. Makerbot came out of NYC Resistor, a hackers collective offering shared knowledge and camaraderie. And out of Makerbot, the hopes are to create a revolution in crowd-sourced manufacturing.