In other blog posts I had already spoken about the amazing products created by 3D printers such as houses, toys and many other things. However, today I am going to tall you about the world’s first 3D-printed laptop, Pi-Top.
Pi-Top is a special laptop, which has not only been created by a 3D printer. What makes Pi-Top even more special is that it also integrates Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design with the 3D printing, a combination that endows you with the prerequisite know-how to create your own hardware product, according to its creators. The main aim of the project is to make “hardware as accessible as software,” so the developers behind this 3D-printed laptop want to make their product as beginner-friendly as possible. With that in mind, the creators (a group of student engineers from various UK universities) have ensured that anybody can make the kit in an evening. Creativity is also key to the product as Pi-Top aims to provide a platform on which you can hone your computing skills and learn to code your own hardware. What’s more, as learning through gaming has become a big thing these days, Pi-Top wants its consumers to take part in that trend and become a key player in this market.
While the Pi-Top boasts versatility through its customisable design, whereby you can 3D-print your own 5″ x 5″ case, the product’s not just about the appearance. The makers want you to “learn how to make and control home automation devices, robots, and consumer electronics,” and they’ve also toured the UK, imparting their technological skills to UK pupils. As a result, the product is not only aesthetically pleasing but it also is used as part of a learning experience.
For the skeptics that thought 3D printers were useless, the Pi-Top is the perfect example of a product that makes the usefulness of the printers increase to a great extent. This is because, everything you need to build your 3D-printable laptop, except for the printer itself, comes in a pack currently on sale for £180. The Pi-Top pack includes a customisable template for the 3D printer, so you can print your laptop in any colour or even have your name embossed on the shell. It also contains a screen and a “Raspberry Pi” – a desktop tower the size of a credit card – that needs to be slotted into the shell to form the final laptop.
The Pi-Top has all the functions of a normal laptop, but its inventors hope it will be used to teach children to become more computer literate by learning how to dismantle and reassemble it. The laptop, which officially launches in May, is available to buy on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo which enables thousands of people to pledge seed capital to a new id
ea rather than relying on a loan. What do you think about this product? I couldn’t be more excited as I would love to see what the future of 3D printed products hold!
To learn more about the product click on this link to watch the creators talk about their new product: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/technology-video/11219930/Introducing-Pi-Top-the-worlds-first-3D-printed-laptop.html
Business in the wide world 