3D Systems CEO: We want 3D printing to be as big as the iPad
3D printing will be the canvas of the 21st century.”
That’s the prediction being made by Abe Reichental, the CEO of 3D Systems and biggest cheerleader of the Cube, his company’s first 3D printer built with the mass market consumer in mind.
While 3D Systems more or less created the industrial side of the 3D printing business, the Cube is its foray into a more fledging, uncertain side of the industry.
Reichental, however, is certain of his goal: To democratize creativity. “My assertion is that everyone can be creative if you remove all the friction and intimidation,” Reichental told VentureBeat at a press event in New York City.
That friction comes in two forms. One form, of course, is price, which is a problem for any emerging industry. The Cube, for example, will run for $1299 when it’s released this month, and rival MarkerBot’s Replicatoralready runs for $1700. Those aren’t nearly mass market prices, which is a reality Reichental seems to recognize. ...
He also aims to make it vastly easier for users to create objects and share them with others.
“There are very few artists around the world that can start painting on a blank canvas, but there are millions of people who can use a coloring book,” he said. ...
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