Vienna University of Technology builds a 3D printer, 3D prints the key to our hearts

We’ve all spent a good portion of the past few years imagining what we’ll do as soon as we get our hands on our very own 3D printer . Of course, if you’re of the particularly crafty, Make Magazine -subscribing sort, you’ve probably already built a few of your own. For those who don’t know a soldering iron from a freshly-burned hole in their hand, however, it’s been a matter of waiting for the technology to come down in size and price. A machine designed by professors at the Vienna University of Technology still has a ways to go on the roughly €1,200 (about $1,700) price, but it weigh in at a bit over three pounds, and that’s not for your run-of-the-mill extruder — this breadbox-sized machine uses lasers to harden plastics, allegedly with enough precision to produce medical parts. Looks like picking out the perfect gift for your professor friends in Vienna just got a lot harder. Vienna University of Technology builds a 3D printer, 3D prints the key to our hearts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 01:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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