As jaded as some folks might be about the 3Doodler as a “3D printing product”, I try not to let my cynicism about the world get in the way of my fascination with human ingenuity. The fused filament pen may be a “modified extruder” or a “glorified glue gun”, but, WobbleWorks, the company that manufacturers the 3Doodler, continues to grow its product, the more modified and glorified it becomes. The 3Doodler’s latest foot-operated pedal accessory further refines the handheld filament fabrication device.
With the company reaching 100,000 sales, WobbleWorks has announced at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin, the release of its new foot pedal. The pedal will give users greater control over the 3Doodler in much the same way that such a pedal controls a sewing machine. Freeing up the users thumb, the foot-operated accessory allows users to more deftly handle their gadget to more effectively create such elaborate objects as quadcopters and robots.
The pedal complements 3Doodler’s six differently shaped nozzles and the 3Doodler stand with fast and slow extrusion settings, altogether enabling human control over a 3D printing technology. If the company adds even more autonomy to the device, while maintaining human control, perhaps we’ll see a 3D printer that resembles a sewing machine in the future (Send credit and royalties this way, please!). Also announced at the event is a series of 12 new colors for the 3Doodler, like “radioactive yellow” and “cotton candy pink”.
