Kickstarter of the Week is our weekly column that looks at the latest crowdfunded projects you can back on sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. We've seen that some of the coolest new developments in recent times - such as the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and the Pebble smartwatch - have come out of crowdfunding instead of the big companies. We're on the lookout for the gamechangers, but we also try and point out fun projects that might be cool to back.
Of course, crowdfunding isn't pre-ordering, and a project getting funded doesn't guarantee a product being delivered, but with that caveat in place, we're still fans of the concept, and that's because it has led to so many interesting new gadgets.
That's why we're looking at the 3Doodler 2.0 this week - the first 3Doodler was also funded on Kickstarter and it is one of the most interesting gadgets we've seen. It's a 3D-printer in the loosest sense of the word - instead of a printer, the 3Doodler is basically a handheld extruder that would take a spool of plastic, and melt it, allowing you to write in thin air.
We got to try out the 3Doodler earlier this year for a brief while, and found that the results are messy, and using the pen is very difficult. But there is something magical about waving the 3Doodler around and seeing something real come out of it.
The 3Doodler 2.0 is 75 percent smaller than the original model, which is a huge improvement - the new model is around the same size as a whiteboard marker. The team has also got the weight down by half, to 50g. According to the Kickstarter page, improvements in airflow will also result in smoother doodles, with more consistent flow of the plastic allowing for better looking designs. You can see more details in the video below:
The Kickstarter for the 3Doodler 2.0 started on Monday, and it has already crossed $300,000 (just under Rs.2 crores), against a goal of $30,000 (approximately Rs. 19 lakhs). The project is accepting funding until January 25, and for a pledge of $99 (approximately Rs. 6,300) you will get a 3Doodler 2.0 pen and 100 strands of plastic.
To see more stories from the world of crowdfunding, click here.
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