3Doodler uses 3D printer ink to let you draw 3D objects

It looks like Kickstarter is quickly becoming the best place to go if you want to see some strange and innovative things. The newest one that’s caught our fancy is the 3Doodler. Boston-based duo Peter Dilworth and Maxwell Bogue have come up with the first 3D printing pen. The pen lets you draw new "objects", for lack of a better phrase.

We don’t seem to be the only ones interested in this, though, as the Kickstarter campaign for the pen seems to have been a massive success. While the duo originally asked for $30,000 to make the pen happen, they seem to have made ten times the money they were asking for, with them having acquired $413,000 as of time of writing.

The pen uses the same material as many 3D printers—ABS plastic. Users can draw on surfaces, or if you're feeling especially adventerous, in the air. The duo claims that it is easy to use and you can plug it into a power socket and start drawing stuff within minutes.

The 3Doodler lets you make things like this.

As 3Doodler draws, it extrudes heated plastic that quickly cools and solidifies into a strong stable structure. This allows you to build a variety of shapes and items. Most people will instantly be able to trace objects on paper, and after only a few hours of practice, you will be able to make far more intricate objects.

Some of the things you can make with the 3Doodler include basic 3D shapes and models, jewellery, pendants, hanging ornaments and decorative art. According to the Kickstarter page: "3Doodler works on almost any surface, including plastic, allowing users to personalize items such as iPhone cases, or anything else they feel like 3Doodling on. 3Doodler can even be used for minor repair work."

There are also talks of making "stencils" for the 3Doodler. The duo would release sophisticated stencils that users can get from the Internet, take print out and use as a baseline to make complicated things with the 3Doodler. An example of this can be seen in a video on the Kickstarter page, where they make a minature Eiffel Tower.

The duo has also announced a collaboration with wire artists from Etsy. This is essentially done to showcase the capabilities of the 3Doodler. As an added bonus, those who pledge $25 or more will get one of the 3D creations by artists Bud Bullivant and Ruth Jensen.

It will be very interesting to see what happens once this pen is commercially available and gets in the hands of talented artists.