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3D Print from Your Smartphone with $99 OLO–Check Out Raging Kickstarter Campaign, Over $832K and Rising Fast

Bridget O'Neal

OLO 3D believes in the maximum freedom of use and form with 3D printing. Headquartered in San Francisco, they seem to mix perfect aesthetics with the utilitarian almost effortlessly, and they are handing that down to their users now quite generously with the OLO smartphone 3D printer. The burning question once it arrives is, what to print first? From the professional to novice level, this just looks like Christmas (all year long!) in a small box.

The smartphone and the 3D printer together? They are a power couple. A dynamic duo. A match made in Kickstarter heaven. Even if you aren’t planning on buying one (and it looks like you might be dwindling into the minority there if not), this is worth checking out just to catch a glimpse of personal 3D printing for the future. With the OLO priced at $99, this is one of those campaigns where if you don’t act fast, all you’re going to get is a message flashing before you that cheerfully announces ‘All gone!’

Using the light from your smartphone as a curing agent for its many resins, the OLO works with nearly any brand, and they promise this translates to the bigger displays as well, such as those found with the iPhone 6S or Galaxy S7. It’s also compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows. Consisting of a mere seven components and one engine, your smartphone is going to do most of the work for the OLO once you download an app that allows for files to be uploaded, managed online, and then sent for printing. The easy interface is also what makes this ‘first social printer’ on the market as users can share everything, showing off their new skills to their community.

This tiny 3D printer offers silent performance, precision, little waste, and again, the simplicity from the design to operation will blow you away. You don’t even have to plug the OLO in—just be prepared with four AA batteries. You can travel with it, and as the company states—even take it on a plane. A neoprene shock-proof travel case is also available for your OLO.

With the promise that you’ll be making cool stuff within ten minutes of unpacking it, to 3D print from the OLO, all you have to do is:

The build chamber offers an incredibly compact design that prevents outside light penetration–while at the same time maximizing the effect of the while light emission from your phone. The OLO offers a resolution of up to 32 microns, and your iPhone 6, as an example, will allow the portable 3D printer to build 1cm in around 45 minutes, or one inch in just under two hours.

Different resins are available from OLO 3D for varying models and projects, and you can print hard models as well as flexible ones. And yes, there’s even a castable resin if are interested in making models in silver or gold. A variety of colors are available at fairly standard prices.

The social aspects involved are inviting as well, allowing you to share models on social media, or even send a surprise model as a gift to someone who can only find out what it is by 3D printing it themselves.

We’ve been following OLO 3D’s progress as the company worked to develop the final concept in preparation to release the OLO to the world, just on the heels of their debut at the October 2015 World Maker Faire in New York where they won the World Maker Faire Editor’s Choice Award.

And yes, one might say the response has been good. In fact, again, even if you are one of the few who don’t seem to be ordering an OLO, this is a Kickstarter story just worth watching. OLO 3D launched the campaign in hopes to raise $80K by April 20th. As of this writing, they have raised nearly $825,000. [As of the time of editing, the total is up to a whopping $832,647 and rising.]

OLO 3D promises that ‘anyone can use OLO’ and it certainly appears as if nearly everyone believes so.

With a pledge of $99, you receive the OLO 3D printer, accompanied by a 100g bottle of white resin and an OLO sticker set. Delivery is scheduled for September. At just $103, you receive the OLO dental or rainbow material set (not including the OLO 3D printer), with delivery scheduled for August. Prices ascend with various packages for increasing volume and materials. You can even spend upward of $10K and fly to meet with the team in San Francisco and receive your special gold edition OLO.

Looking at the price and checking out what you can do with the OLO–combined with this level of frenzy from backers–is just enough to make one giddy. As the company states, the beauty of the product is that it’s simple all around, and ‘half of its hardware is already in your pocket.’  It’s lightweight, undeniably cleverly designed, stylish, and allows for a lot of fun with the social exchange elements. The OLO is also super portable, weighing just one pound, plus the weight of your smartphone.

The goal of the OLO 3D team? To see that everyone has one. It’s a simple mission, and one that’s on its way to being met. The creation of this little 3D printer involved over 60 people and 11 companies from around the world. Soon, the voicemail greeting heard around the world for many will be: “Sorry I can’t take your call right now—my phone is busy 3D printing!”

Other specs for the OLO are as follows:

The OLO team considers themselves to be a ‘digital factory, boasting over 15 years experience in design, product engineering, rapid prototyping and digital fabrication. They’ve completed more than 1200 projects for clients like Calvin Klein, Vodafone, Coca Cola, Zaha Hadid, and Viacom International. 

Are you backing this product? Discuss in the OLO Smartphone 3D Printer forum over on 3DPB.com.

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