About the only thing you can’t print on a 3-D printer is a time machine. However, the creators at Formlabs have managed to bring forward a staple from many 1950s living rooms.
OK, so 3-D printing a miniaturized replica of a Philco Predicta television isn’t exactly time travel, but you can ignore that when you realize the TV actually works.
Formlabs, a top manufacturer for desktop, laser-based 3-D printers, printed the cabinet of the then-futuristic-looking boob tube and built it around a two-inch LCD display and electronics from Adafruit a company that makes products for creators of all ages.
The quirky little creation was featured this week on 3DPrint.com and the Formlabs website. Of course, the finishing touch of authenticity was in the programming — The Man from Planet X.
Neither post explains how long it took to print the tiny TV, but the Somerville, Massachusetts, company has made the plans available free for download.
The TV was printed on the Formlab’s Form+1 printer, which lists for about $3,300 on Formlab’s store page.
David Pierini is a former newspaper writer and long-time photographer. Considered a luddite by most of his friends, they did not believe him when he broke the news that he would be writing for a technology website. He is fascinated by human nature and would love to cultivate stories about the people driving the tech bus. Reach out to him at [email protected].
2 responses to “The 3-D printed TV with a tiny 2-inch screen that really works”
“About the only you can’t print on a 3D printer is a time machine.” Or Circuitry, or Glass, Or Metal, or a host of other things that makes anything usable in the electronics age. I’m getting so tired of this phrase that you can make anything with 3d printers. You can’t. Even this article explains how they had to supplement the 3d print with all the electronics. All you did was 3d print the housing. Wake me up when you can actually make the object.
Well it’s a printer not a replicator. Wake me up when you can print me out a full course meal that I can eat. I’m tired of cooking.