The 3DBee is an online platform that also distributes the 3Doodler. Business development and marketing manager Smira Ahmed said that local schools have been expressing interest in adding the pen to their classrooms.
“At my son’s school in Jumeirah, they have it in their robotics design after-school club,” she said. “We’re also in negotiations with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and we’re looking to get it into the local school system. There’s a lot of interest. It’s getting teachers excited.”
Several educational programs have already been using the pen to teach kids about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subject areas, as well as introduce them to 3D printing. Recently, the Sharjah Girl Guides, an organization that offers educational and extracurricular activities for young girls, hosted a 3Doodler workshop. Other events where the pen has made an appearance include the Innovation Hub Spring Camp and Think Science 2015.
Shreya Beas, a fifth grader at Indian High School in Dubai, has been using a 3Doodler and loves it.
“It’s not difficult to use, and it’s very easy to understand,” she said. “It’s very interesting and exciting, and you can make whatever you want with it. I have made a guitar, a bicycle, all sorts of different models, and even the Eiffel Tower. My father told me about it and took me for a training session at his office. We can use it for many things. It’s an innovative tool for designing science models. That’s what I do. You can clearly make every stage. Since it’s in 3D, people can see it, examine it, and understand it.”
Ahmed believes that the 3Doodler is just the first step in the adoption of 3D printing technology in UAE schools.
“With something like this where you add an element of creativity, all of a sudden girls are also interested in engineering, like putting together a bridge, and boys who like to see exactly what they’re doing don’t lose interest,” she said. “This is also just a step before actually introducing 3D printers, which are just around the corner. 3D printers are going to be in schools eventually, probably sooner than later.”