Smallest 3D-printing pen to go Kickstarter

Fresh on the heels of last year's hugely successful 3Doodler handheld 3D printer, design company LIX promises an even more compact device and is set to crowdsource funds on Kickstarter.

LIX demonstrated in a video its 3D printing pen, which it said is the world's smallest to date - and may be cost as little as about $140.

In the demo, the pen can draw power from a laptop's USB port and allows the user to start drawing 3D figures:
 

A separate report on tech site Mashable said the LIX pen can heat a plant-based PLA filament or ABS plastic that allows "doodling in the air."

Mashable added the superheated filament cools quickly so the drawn structure can be rigid.

"Each filament rod is about 10 centimeters long and should, according to the company, last for about two minutes of air-drawing," it added (http://mashable.com/2014/04/10/worlds-smallest-3d-printing-pen-kickstarter/).

On the other hand, Mashable quoted LIX co-founder Anton Suvorov as saying the pen may arrive in Kickstarter around April 14.

Suvorov said the starting price may be around $139.95, though a non-working replica ballpen can be bought for $59.95. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News