As one of the world's largest toy manufacturers, Mattel
certainly has a number of legendary products, one of them is the Mattel
View-Master, which last year had been revived into a VR headset, and recently
overhauled to be more perfect.
In addition to the View-Master, there is also another
interesting device from Mattel named ThingMaker. Popular in the 1960s, this
device essentially allowed children to create their own toys, by pouring molten
plastic into the mold, to be heated, and then cooled.
And now after half a century later, Mattel is ready with the
reincarnation of ThingMaker. The concept and function is still the same: to
help the children create their own toys, but certainly with the help of digital
technology, which many times more powerful than the original version.
Mattel ThingMaker new generation is basically a 3D printer.
Its form is not much different from other 3D printers, complete with a window
on the front side so that the children can see the whole process of making
their own toy designs.
This device includes a companion application called
ThingMaker Design. This application is quite special, not only because it is
designed by the Autodesk team, but also because of its simple interface and
full customization options.
ThingMaker Design can be accessed via Android or iOS
devices. Children can design a toy from scratch, or they can also modify the
existing templates. A variety of textures and colors can be selected, and the
application will display the movement mechanism of toy when it has been printed
and assembled later.
In the future, Mattel even plans to offer a design template
from a row of its popular franchise, such as Barbie and Hot Wheels. In other
words, ThingMaker users will be able to print their own Barbie doll or Hot
Wheels.
After designing, the application will export the result into
printable file and then forward it to the printer via Wi-Fi. The printing
process will take place section by section. Once everything is ready, the
children can assemble them into a whole toy which can be moved.
Mattel ThingMaker is utilizing PLA filament to print. It has
various colors, so far there have been two dozen different colors, and may be
increased in the future, including in terms of materials.
ThingMaker 3D Printer is scheduled to be marketed in the
spring of this year at a price of $ 300, quite affordable for a 3D printer. The
ThingMaker Design application itself can be downloaded on Android and iOS for
free.