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PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

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Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#21

Post by nnnnni »

pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

There are a number of Reprap variants that print better than the Replicator 2 for less than half the price.

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#22

Post by trentlott »

nnnnni wrote: post #21
pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

There are a number of Reprap variants that print better than the Replicator 2 for less than half the price.

Examples?

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#23

Post by Chaotic »

pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

>The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year.

The design lead said that he's being working with 3D printers since 2008. It's at 30 seconds into the first video.

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#24

Post by andyjsong »

pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

> Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware, or user error.. For that reason, I think 3D printing will be a hobbyist thing for another 5 years at least. The delta between a PandaBot and a high-quality MakerBot 2 with a good reputation is only about $1,000. Thats not much for a die-hard hobbyist, or rich geek wanting a new tech toy to fiddle with.

This a very interesting statement. Couple it with the news that HP will not be profitable till 2016, [1] why doesn't HP slap on an extra axis to their printers and make them extrude ABS instead of ink? Granted, they might not get the demand they want in the short term, but they are setting themselves up for something bigger later down the line. They have the infrastructure, distribution, know-how, and cash. What's stopping them from cornering the desktop 3D printing market?

[1] http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/10/hp-ceo-were-screwed-...

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#25

Post by nickpinkston »

andyjsong wrote: post #24
pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

> Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware, or user error.. For that reason, I think 3D printing will be a hobbyist thing for another 5 years at least. The delta between a PandaBot and a high-quality MakerBot 2 with a good reputation is only about $1,000. Thats not much for a die-hard hobbyist, or rich gee…

HP actually has IP around 3DP and until recently sold Stratasys machines under their private label. I say recently because it was shown that HP sucked at selling them and ceded its territory back to Stratasys.

Also - some companies (ZCorp / ProMetal) use HP print heads to deposit less viscous materials for powder bed 3D printers

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#26

Post by jlgreco »

mahyarm wrote: post #5
stephengillie wrote: post #2

I'm waiting for the 3d printer you download and assemble entirely from 3d-printed parts.

I'm waiting when you can get plastic in a form that works with these things at $2/pound.

There has been a lot of work lately at creating filament makers that would allow people to recycle scrap plastic into filament you can print with at home. I think that when this technology starts to mature things ought to get rather interesting.

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#27

Post by andyjsong »

nickpinkston wrote: post #25
andyjsong wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware, or user error.. For that reason, I think 3D printing will be a hobbyist thing for another 5 years at least. The delta between a PandaBot and a high-quality MakerBot 2 with a good reputation is only about $1,000. Thats not much for a die-hard hobbyist, or rich gee…

HP actually has IP around 3DP and until recently sold Stratasys machines under their private label. I say recently because it was shown that HP sucked at selling them and ceded its territory back to Stratasys. Also - some companies (ZCorp / ProMetal) use HP print heads to deposit less viscous materials for powder bed 3D printers

So I went to the Stratasys site and saw that there entry level printer was $10k, would this be the equivalent of a Ferrari vs. a kit car conversion?

Why doesn't Stratasys make a Honda Civic of 3D printers?

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#28

Post by tptacek »

anigbrowl wrote: post #9
pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

In effect, you've reduced costs to make the PandaBot accessible to a class of people who aren't really your customer And you know this how? I've been surprised at the consistent hostility of some people on HN to innovating on price. This is the same mentality that led to the US car market going temporarily insane and assuming that everyone wants the biggest SUV possible.

That wasn't fair. Pricing so close to COGS that you can't sustainably deliver the product isn't price innovation, nor is pricing so low that COGS forces you to deliver an inferior product; the comment you're responding to took pains to spell out why this particular 3d printer price didn't make much sense.

The consistent hostility towards low prices on HN is based on this site's manifest tendency to underprice things, or to calculate price from cost or from pie-eyed notions of how big their addressable markets are.

Re: PandaBot: A friendly, affordable 3D printer

#29

Post by d1plo1d »

Chaotic wrote: post #23
pxlpshr wrote: post #7

The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. So now they know how to fix "all the problems" to make 3D printing available to the masses? The leadership page doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that blanket statement. Regular 2D printing isn't something that's been easy for most people after 20 years of modern computing. It's a toss up whether or not software, hardware,…

>The video mentions they've only been working in the 3D printer world for less than a year. The design lead said that he's being working with 3D printers since 2008. It's at 30 seconds into the first video.

Exactly, this comment should really be higher up.

Liav, the designer of the PandaBot, was one of the first people in Canada to build a RepRap Darwin. The year Panda Robotics took to develop the Pandabot is the result of many years of prior 3D printer experience on Liav's part.

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