Kickstarter projects have mostly amused me with the way they stretch the boundaries and innovate. 3D printing is something that the companies have been experimenting from quite some time and in the recent past we have also seen an attempt by Mattel to make 3D printing mainstream with its Toy Studio. OLO is a compact smartphone 3D printer that retails at $99 and uses the light from your smartphone to print 3D objects. The printer looks more like a bar of sponge and its dimensional attributes further confirm its compactness.
Before you start pondering, OLO printer works with any smartphone irrespective of the screen size and the makers claim that it can easily accommodate the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus. The premise of OLO is its companion app that is available for iOS, Android and Windows. The OLO printer seems to employ a bare basic approach and it can achieve resolutions up to 32 microns.
In order to get a 3D printed object of your choice you can begin by selecting the object on the app, the object can either be chosen from a collection of pre-set designs or users can also import their own 3D models. The next step includes pouring in the resin of your choice in the box which is designed to block any external source of light in order to amplify the effect of the white light emission emanating from the smartphone display.
OLO is more like an oven which will bake the cake over certain time, just like how OLO needs approximately two hours to build a 1-inch model. The good part is that OLO have not shut out other 3D modelling app and this means you can also give shape to those Autodesk models. The printer makes use of super sensitive photopolymers which are available in 4 materials and 5 colors.
The highlights of the printer are as follows, most affordable one around, seems easy to operate and clean, no external power source required, no maintenance, silent operation and easy ingress and egress of the objects. The app also comes with a 3D messaging feature that would let you send 3D models to your loved ones who can simply print it out. The printer is on Kickstarter and the pledges start from $39 and extend all the way up to $9,999 the estimated delivery is pegged at October 2016. On a related note the company claims that the resins are also priced competitively.
OLO Printer is a reminder of where the 3D printing industry is heading towards, it is only a matter of time that 3D printing becomes mainstream and this is something that comes with exciting possibilities. If you have always fancied a 3D printer, this is the time you can get one at just $99.
