Explore Posterous

At the Web 2.0 Summit this week, one of the coolest presentations I saw was by Bre Pettis, co-founder of MakerBot - an affordable, open-source 3D printer that allows you to physically "print" and manufacture a plastic model. While 3D printers have been around for awhile, this is perhaps the first time that a 3D printer is affordable and compact enough for consumer use. Starting at $750, the Cupcake CNC rapid prototyping machine enables you to make just about anything you design on a desktop computer -- a personal factory if you will, to bring your ideas to life.
Pettis suggests that an even greater benefit is the community aspect. This little machine is so cool that it brings people together -- which Pettis hopes gets us back to actually making great things and rediscovering invention.
Imagine how the MakerBot Cupcake could be used in schools to ignite the imagination of young minds or how it could create economic opportunities. All I can say is, I want one!