3Doodler facts for kids
The 3Doodler is a special pen that lets you draw in the air to create real 3D objects! It was invented by Peter Dilworth, Maxwell Bogue, and Daniel Cowen from a company called WobbleWorks.
Think of it like a hot glue gun, but for plastic. The 3Doodler melts plastic inside and pushes it out through a tiny tip. This plastic cools down super fast, turning solid almost instantly. This means you can draw shapes and lines that stand up on their own, building amazing 3D creations by hand!
The pen uses different types of plastic, like ABS, PLA, or a flexible kind called FLEXY (TPU). Just one foot of plastic thread can make about 11 feet of drawn material! There are three main models of the 3Doodler:
- Start: Made especially for kids.
- Create: For general users and hobbyists.
- Pro: Designed for professionals.
Contents
How the 3Doodler Was Invented
The idea for the 3Doodler came to Maxwell Bogue and Peter Dilworth in early 2012. They were waiting for a 3D printer to finish making something, and it took a really long time – 14 hours! When it was done, they saw the printer had missed a small part. This made them think: "What if we could just draw that missing part by hand?" And that's how they decided to create a pen that could draw in 3D!
How the 3Doodler Got Started
To make the 3Doodler a reality, WobbleWorks launched a campaign on Kickstarter on February 19, 2013. Kickstarter is a website where people can donate money to help new ideas and products get made. The goal was to raise $30,000.
People loved the idea! The $30,000 goal was reached in just a few hours. Many of the early rewards, like getting a pen for $50, sold out on the first day. By February 22, more than $1 million had been pledged! The campaign ended with over $2 million raised, showing how excited people were about this new invention.
3Doodler Start: For Young Creators
The 3Doodler Start is a special version of the pen made just for younger kids. It's designed to be very safe because the tip of the pen does not get hot. This means kids can use it without worrying about burns.
Instead of needing to be plugged into a wall outlet all the time, you can charge the 3Doodler Start. Once it's charged, you just press a button and you're ready to create!
Newer Versions of the 3Doodler
In January 2015, an improved version called the 3Doodler 2.0 was released. This new pen was smaller and had a quieter fan. It also let users change the size and shape of the tip, giving them more control over their drawings. Another Kickstarter campaign for this version raised over $1.5 million!
3Doodler for Schools (EDU)
3Doodler also makes special sets called 3Doodler EDU, which are designed for schools. Teachers and students from kindergarten all the way to university can use these pens. They are a fun way to add creativity and art to subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM/STEAM). Using 3Doodler EDU can help students learn in a hands-on way and bring their ideas to life.
Amazing Things Made with 3Doodler
Many people around the world share their awesome 3Doodler creations online. Here are some cool examples:
- A "Seashell Dress" by SHIGO
- A remote-controlled airplane by Matthew Butchard
- Beautiful art pieces by Rachel Goldsmith
- A fancy "Ascot Hat" by Grace Du Prez
- A "Plastic Man" sculpture by Justin Mattarocchia
- A unique creation called "Moodle" by Nikki Firmin
- Window displays for The MoMA Design Store
- An art portfolio by Kseniia Snikhovska
- An "Articulated Anatomical Hand" (a hand that can move!) by Ricardo Martínez Herrera
Other 3D Pens
Since the 3Doodler came out, other companies have also made their own 3D pens. For example, in 2017, Polaroid released its "Polaroid Play" pen, which also lets users create 3D objects using PLA plastic. Other companies that make 3D pens include MYNT3D, TecBoss, and Scribbler.
Images for kids
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Corsair drawn with 3Doodler
See also
In Spanish: 3Doodler para niños
