Notes Design

Photo by oskay

Looking to do some rapid prototyping in your all purpose design studio/bedroom but can't afford to buy in, Scientific American found five 3-D Printers that might be able to help you out. Pictured above, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories three dimensional fabricator prints large, low-resolution, objects out of pure sugar. To cut costs, the Evil Labs crew replaced the multi-thousand dollar laser with a $10 heating coil similar to what you'd find in a hair dryer--nice!

Fab@Home Model 1
Materials: Epoxy; chocolate; Boursin (a soft cheese)
Price: $2,400 - $3,600

RepRap Version 1.0 "Darwin"
Material: Biodegradable plastic or polyester
Price: $500 - $900

Candy Fab
Material: Granulated sugar
Price: Estimated at $500

Craftsman CompuCarve
Material: Wood; can handle acrylics and foam, too
Price: $1,899.99

Desktop Factory 125ci 3D Printer
Material: Nylon-based powder (laced with aluminum and glass)
Price: $4,995

via boing boing