CreoPop cold-printing 3D pen kicks off campaign

CreoPop's 3D printing pen has begun its crowdfunding campaign, with the cool-running stylus taking on 3Doodler and others with its unusual ink. The pen – which we played with in prototype form earlier this month – allows for freehand sketching of 3D objects, but unlike other such startups uses a completely cold ink that's set with ultraviolet light.

By relying on UV rather than melting traditional 3D printer wire, the pen's nib remains cold to the touch. Anyone who has accidentally burned themselves will likely consider that a welcome change, plus it makes CreoPop more kid-friendly.

It also opens the door to applying 3D ink to objects that might not normally handle heat well themselves, such as fabrics that might discolor or burn.

Currently at over $24,000 and more than 60-percent of its way to the final goal, an early-bird unit is $79. You can't accuse the CreoPop team of lacking ambition, however, with stretch goals already in mind.

If the project hits $100k, for instance, there'll be shaped nozzles thrown in, though it's $300,000 when things get really interesting. At that point, the cost of taking six new inks from the lab to production will be viable, CreoPop says: elastic, aromatic, body paint, glittering, and conductive.

The campaign closes on July 20th, and – assuming the goal is hit – the first units are expected to be shipped from February next year.

SOURCE CreoPop