MakerBot Intros Platform for Experimental Projects

Photo: Business Wire

A new offering from MakerBot aims to serve as an experimental platform for creating, building, innovating and collaborating with 3D printing. MakerBot Labs is a sandbox for designers and engineers that includes customizable hardware and software with open APIs, custom print nodes and more.

"We're introducing this new, more open platform as a direct response to our advanced users calling for greater freedom with materials and software," explained MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen in a statement.

The first products available on the platform include:

  • MakerBot Labs Experimental Extruder, a customizable extruder with four interchangeable nozzles, such as a large-diameter draft nozzle (for "draft" printing at higher speeds) and a stainless steel nozzle (for printing in abrasive materials);
  • Custom print modes in MakerBot Print, allowing users to import and export print setting configurations for various materials and objectives;
  • MakerBot Labs Community on Thingiverse, a hub for users to collaborate, discuss techniques and share resources like custom material print modes, custom hardware mods, new apps and software APIs; and
  • MakerBot Labs API, giving developers the means to interface with and expand the capabilities of MakerBot 3D printers.

For more information, visit the MakerBot site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • geometric pattern features abstract icons of a dollar sign, graduation cap, and document

    Maricopa Community Colleges Adopts Platform to Combat Student Application Fraud

    In an effort to secure its admissions and financial processes, Maricopa Community Colleges has partnered with A.M. Simpkins and Associates (AMSA) to implement the company's S.A.F.E (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) across the district's 10 institutions.

  • stylized figures, resumes, a graduation cap, and a laptop interconnected with geometric shapes

    OpenAI to Launch AI-Powered Jobs Platform

    OpenAI announced it will launch an AI-powered hiring platform by mid-2026, directly competing with LinkedIn and Indeed in the professional networking and recruitment space. The company announced the initiative alongside an expanded certification program designed to verify AI skills for job seekers.

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    New Nonprofit to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a new nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • hooded figure types on a laptop, with abstract manifesto-like posters taped to the wall behind them

    Hacktivism Is a Growing Threat to Higher Education

    In recent years, colleges and universities have faced an evolving array of cybersecurity challenges. But one threat is showing signs of becoming both more frequent and more politically charged: hacktivism.