3D Printing Vending Machine Creates 3D Printed Designs Fast & Easy

As awesome as 3D printing is, most people still don’t have access to it. Unless you have a 3D printer at home, if you want something 3D printed, you typically have to order it through an Internet 3D printing company. It’s a time consuming process that has a long way to go before it’s optimized. Dreambox fixes that problem, at least for the students at the University of California in Berkeley.

Dreambox is the world’s first 3D printing vending machine. The way it works is simple. According to PSFK, people can “upload their design to the cloud-based computing system installed in the machine. Uploaded renderings are then processed, printed and stored in a locked drawer in the lower half of the machine. When the print is complete, users are messaged an unlock code which opens the drawer containing their 3D printed model.”

The best part about Dreambox is that it begins the printing process the moment the design is uploaded. That step right there can save a week or two when compared to the traditional process. This is set up on the campus just like any other vending machine, and it allows anyone to be a part of the 3D printing experience. It completely removes the 3D printing vendor from the process, and eliminates the need to own a personal 3D printer. Both of these things cut down on time and money, which will only make the process of creating 3D printed designs even more fun.

In a few years from now, we will probably all have 3D printers in our homes. As prices continue to drop and 3D printers become more affordable, they will become a part of our everyday lives. Until that day comes, this is a brilliant idea! It allows for a shared 3D printing space for a small group of people, which only benefits everyone. According to the Dreambox website, we may start seeing these vending machines in other offices, school and retail locations too.