3D Systems’ CES Includes $500 iSense 3D Scanner, 3D Sculpting Mouse, And Edibles

Now there’s a headline we never thought we’d write. 3D Systems came to CES with its truck loaded, as it were, and among the sort of announcements you’d expect from a 3D printing outfit are a few that are double-take worthy.

First, 3D Systems announced the ChefJet 3D Printer series that are kitchen-ready, meaning that they can print food. (It. Prints. Food.) The printers are geared toward those who make sweet concoctions such as bakers and cake masters, and the printers include easy-to-use, non-CAD software.


There are two machines, the monochrome ChefJet 3D Printer and the full-color ChefJet Pro 3D Printer; the former is expected to sell in the sub-$5,000 range while the latter will retail in the sub-$10,000 range. The monochrome version offers a build volume of 8 x 8 x 6 inches while the Pro can manage 10 x 14 x 8 inches, and both have printable materials in flavors including chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry, and watermelon.

3D Systems has a new consumer-oriented 3D scanner called the iSense, which is a tiny little thing that connects to your iPad and lets you “physical photographs” of people, places, and things around you. There’s no need to put anything in a box; just point and shoot. And when you’re done, you can upload your scans to Cubify.com’s cloud printing site. The device will cost $499 when it debuts in Q2 2014.


The company is partnering with Intel to further develop mainstream adoption of 3D scanning and printing by lending its Sense technology to Intel for inclusion with tablets, AIOs, and ultrabooks--as well as a future Intel-powered 3D camera.


Another imaginative 3D Systems product appearing at CES is the Touch, a consumer-level 3D mouse designed to help users intuitively sculpt 3D images. It works with the company’s Cubify Sculpt software and offers force feedback, 6-degree freedom positional sensing, a pair of integrated stylus switches, and a USB 2.0 interface. Like the iSense 3D scanner, the Touch 3D mouse will be available in Q2 2014 for $499.


3D Systems also has a new pair of impressive though slightly more traditional printers. The CubeJet 3D Printer is a sub-$5,000 full color, HD printer equipped with ColorJet Printing (CJP) technology, while the CeraJet 3D Printer (around $10,000) can print ceramic objects that can be kiln-fired and glazed. The idea with the latter is that you can print kitchenware, tiling, and pieces of art, and in the hands of a an artist/craftsman, we could see unprecedented designs.

So the answer to the age-old question is no, wonders will never cease.

---