The cool 3D printing pen that even kids can use

While 3D printers continue to fascinate people with the creations they are capable of making, 3D pens have also piqued a lot of interest because of their pick-up-and-play nature with a very low barrier to entry. That's the theory anyway - in practice most attempts at cerating a 3D printing pen have proved somewhat impractical, not least because of the heat they need to generate.

Now, unlike other 3D pens that heat up the plastic then rapidly cool it down to create solid shapes and objects, the Creopop pen uses a light-sensitive ink that solidifies when exposed to ultraviolet light.

The lack of heating components means avoiding lengthy start-up times waiting for the plastic to melt – as well as the chance of accidentally burning yourself while handling the pen.

The pen allows you to create freeform objects in 3D, and there's also a variety of 'inks' you can use to further enhance your creations including plastics that glow in the dark, conduct electricity and even change colour according to the temperature.

It should come as no surprise that the Creopop was successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo earlier last year smashing its original goal of $40,000 by over five times.

Just as the 3Doodler started the craze of 3D printing without the printer and the Lix refined the process, the Creopop takes the next step in to making the process safer for kids and adults alike to start drawing in 3D.

Words: Christian Harries

Christian Harries is a freelance product designer and graduate from Ravensbourne. His portfolio can be seen here.

Like this? Read these!

• The designer's guide to working from home
• Great examples of doodle art
• Discover what's next for Augmented Reality