Toy maker Mattel comes with 3D printer and new View-Master glasses

In the fall of 2016, Mattel will launch a 3d printer. The ThingMaker 3D Printer will cost $300 and will work in conjunction with an app made by Autodesk. The manufacturer is also working on a new version of its View-Master glasses, based on Google’s Cardboard platform.

The 3D printer works in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS, which Mattel has developed in collaboration with Autodesk. This ThingMaker Design App is immediately available and, according to the manufacturer, also works in combination with 3d printers from other brands. The app will contain designs and will allow users to design objects themselves.

Specifications of the ThingMaker 3d printer are not yet known, but USA Today spoke with the manufacturer at the New York Toy Fair and reported that the printer, like many other 3d printers, uses pla filament. Mattel will supply the coils itself in different colors. Printing a ring would take about twenty minutes, making an action figure would take about six to eight hours. The compartment of the 3d printer closes itself during printing for safety reasons and after printing the print head retracts so that children cannot accidentally touch it.

With the arrival of the 3D printer, Mattel is breathing new life into its ThingMaker brand. In 1960 the first ‘thingmaker’ came out. At the time, it was a machine with molds into which plastic could be poured. By heating it, figures could be made. The system is also known as Creepy Crawlers.

Mattel says it will ship the ThingMaker 3D Printer in the fall of 2016. According to the press release, the 3d printer can be pre-ordered via Amazon from February 15, but at the time of writing the device is not yet available there. The suggested retail price is $299.99. It is not known whether Mattel has plans to release the 3d printer in Europe.

At the toy fair, Mattel also showed a new version of its View-Master Virtual Reality Viewer. According to Gizmodo, which could already try the glasses, the new model will receive various improvements. For example, there is a rotary wheel to adjust the focus of the lenses and the housing has been made more sturdy. The new model will hit the market in the fall and will cost about $40. In 2015, the manufacturer, together with Google, released its first VR glasses based on the Cardboard platform.