The Makerbot company is offering web 2.0 technology with their Thingoverse community. Click here to see what's being created with 3D printers from Christmas ornaments to jewelry to action figures. http://www.thingiverse.com/ This community consists of 6,000 Makerbot printers. Here participants can upload or download images to be printed. Owners/users of the Makerbot can store files here and upload files for others to view or download and print. They can start a collection of creations and share and comment on other creations. It is a social networking and file sharing site for users of the Makerbot 3D printers. There is also the opportunity to post comments about the creation process. There are some collaborative projects going on as well. A really interesting project is called "Operation Shellter", to save hermit crabs by creating plastic shells. The hermit crabs are not finding enough shells to survive. There is a shortage of shells, which leaves these poor creatures to resort to using bottle caps and other trash like shelters. Makerbot community to the rescue! To learn more details about this project, click the link to hear an informative podcast: crab shell 3D printing at the "living on earth" ™ radio program (via Public Radio International-PRI).
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| Crab Shell 3D printing photo courtesy of Makerbot |
Shop for, Create and Print 3D designs at Shapeways.com
Another Web 2.0 technology for 3D printing is a site called http://www.shapeways.com/. It is a 3D printing marketplace and community. Here you can shop, create and upload or download 3D designs. It is a shop of 3D designs. You can design your own product, upload it, make it public if you want or choose another artists product from the site. Next, you choose from a variety of materials, plastic, silver, gold, sandstone. The price depends on the cost of the material. There is everything from art, fashion, gadgets, etc. The products are reviewed, similar to Amazon.
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| Sample page compliments of http://www.shapeways.com/. |
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| Screen capture from Shapeways.com |
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