Robo Named CES 2017 Honoree, Announces Design Challenge – Win a New Robo R2 or C2 3D Printer!

At CES Unveiled New York last week, there was a lot of tech in a very small space at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Among the startups vying for attention at the press-only event were a couple of 3D printing companies, including Robo. Recently, we reported that Robo was getting ready to release two new printers into the market after a successful Kickstarter: the Robo R2 and the C2. Both printers were at the Robo booth, and though the R2 prototype on display was slightly different from the production version, it was happily printing and humming away. The R2 had plenty reason to be pleased with itself, as it had just been named a CES 2017 Best of Innovation Awards Honoree.

“We’re honored to be recognized for our new product design and engineering in 3D printing by this prestigious awards program,” said Braydon Moreno, Robo CEO and co-founder. “The Robo R2 is geared for high-performance 3D printing and a range of multi-functional uses. And we’re proud to be the first to market with a machine that offers cutting-edge features at consumer-level price points.”

I spoke with Moreno at the expo and he couldn’t be more pleased with the honor. He told me that the R2 and its little brother, the C2, were a bold new step for the company. Though Robo’s first 3D printer, the R1 (followed by the upgraded R1+), is a very capable machine, their new 3D printers feature many advancements such as more enclosed build chambers, WiFi, an onboard camera and interchangeable heads, which will be compatible with a paste extruder and a laser engraver, under development.

Products chosen as CES Best of Innovation Honorees are given to only the best product or technology in each category, and the Robo R2 was ranked the highest in the 3D printing category for CES 2017. Entries are evaluated on their engineering, aesthetic and design qualities, intended use/function and user value, how the design and innovation of the product directly compares to other products in the marketplace and the unique/novel features that are present. The prestigious CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the producer of CES 2017, which is the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, and has been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

The R2 is seamlessly integrated with the new Robo app. The app lets you connect and print right from your mobile device, monitor the progress of every print in real time, manage multiple prints and printers at once, connect to cloud libraries and access thousands of 3D models, make in-app purchases (filaments, accessories, print kits and more) and get access to 24/7 support and helpful tutorials.

The new Robo R2 will be available February 2017 for $1299 and is available now for pre-order: www.robo3d.com/roboR2, but if you’ve got some design chops you might be able to get your hands on one for free! That’s right, a brand spanking new 3D printer! So what do you have to do? All you’ve got to do is create a winning design in one of four categories; Design or Architecture, Education, Arts or Crafts, and Hobby.

You’re going to want to check out their full rules and design criteria, but there are a few key things to observe when creating your original design. The max size of the model is 120 x 120 x 140 mm and the minimum size is 30 x 30 x 30 mm. It has to print quickly, use no or very little support, has to be easily printable and require no assembly. 5 to 10 winning designs will be selected and installed as default models on every Robo C2 and R2 3D printer. The contest ends on this Friday, November 18th at 12am midnight PST, so get cracking!

[All photos taken on-site at CES Unveiled New York by Michael A. Parker for 3DPrint.com]