Maybe. MakerBot CEO and co-founder Bre Pettis sees a lot of hardware startup activity in New York City, San Francisco, and Colorado in a recent interview with Chris Dixon.
As you may recall, Makerbot is a a 3D printer based on open-source software.
I finally saw this robotic printer in action at TechCrunch Disrupt 2011 and came away from the booth with a freshly baked plastic snake.
Here’s another sign of the coming DIY hardware boom: University of Illinois researchers have developed a roller-ball pen that lets you draw electrical lines with silver ink.
In other words, this pen could put an end to the messy requirement of prototyping with boards, wires, and wire wrapping tools.
You just draw your circuits on wood, plastic, or paper.
Though I’m still not clear how you would then link components to the electrically conducting ink.
Maybe there’s some kind of conducting Elmer’s glue that’s also being worked on?
Hat tip to Tightwad Technica.
Related articles
- Tales from Startup Alley: Makerbot Industries (technoverseblog.com)
- MakerBot’s Pettiss Interview with Chris Dixon (techcrunch.com)
- New Pen Writes Circuit Traces (tightwadtechnica.com)
