Still no dates on same old same old.

The R2 and R2 mini they are displaying is different than the 3 printers they showcased last year. These look more like the UM2 and UM2 mini on the inside. However, no direct news from them on what the release expectations are or the specs. The pics I see look like they are not ready for prime time yet. They do have new scented filament...not sure what I would ever need that for. They did announce that after CES all new robo printers will come with an e-NABLE kit to get new owners a way to do a project with their printer and give back to the community. I think that is really cool. Oh yeah, they also have a 6 foot Robbie statue...haha.

 

Am i missing something here? Because the whole e-NABLE thing seems pretty pointless, isn't that what the forum is for? Also, scented filament would be a good idea if it were not for the harmful tiny microscopic particles that float around in the air while you are printing.

 

Great point. See, most people don't know anything about e-NABLE and what it's all about. e-NABLE (http://enablingthefuture.org/) is for printing prosthetic hands for children and such. They give you the kit that includes the non printable hardware needed to assemble the hand. You then donate that back to e-NABLE to give to someone needing a prosthetic. Children prosthetics are expensive and if insurance covers it, it normally is only once. Kids grow and will need adjustments or all new devices. So yes, this is a great thing to get behind and learn more about. These designs are also good for adults.

If you find having your prints smell like apple or something afterwards, great. PLA doesn't smell bad at all while printing. Everything I make doesn't require it to smell like fruit...unless I guess I print fake fruit. haha. It's novel, but I would spend the money on other exotics before choosing a filament for scent.

 

Ok, thanks for the clarifying all of that for me! I thought it was just like the show and tell thread on the forum already, not a place where you can print prosthetic limbs. And I thought that the scented filaments only smelled nice when you printed with them.

 

You might be right about the scented filaments...really haven't looked very close.

Don't get me wrong, I hope Robo delivers on there display of new printers. It's just those who have been tracking Robo for awhile have seen R2 announced last CES with nothing to show for it. I think they have some work to do to get these new designs finalized from the pics I have seen, but we'll have to see how they do with these teases this time.

Yeah e-nable is great. I should have said that robo is fronting the bill to supply the kit. Normally it is up to the one printing the device to front the cost of the extra hardware. No problem doing that on my end, but hopefully this gets more folks involved.

Robo is trying, but now that their majority partner has changed, I am in a wait and see on where their future goes. Right now, the R1 +PLUS is really a good buy for an off the shelf printer. They have it tuned in fairly well. Of course, always room to grow and that is where this forum community comes in. Great ideas have come from here and great support. We'll see after the CES party ends what Robos next move will be. Fingers crossed.

 

Yeah, maybe the R2 will be the first open source plug and play printer, but an estimate like that is still ambitious.

 

hmmm...interesting that you said open source. Word on the street is that Robo might not be continuing down the open source path. Again, we'll see.

 

ok, so yeah, the smell of the scented filament is released during printing. Like a Yankee Candle. HAHA

http://robo3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/FilamentBox_Apple.png

Here is their full press kit for CES. More shots of the R2 renderings and the specs.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sd47i0v0f7l3l4w/AAA2K_mxd91DpuCUVqp1STyVa?dl=0

 

The idea of scented filament is just... silly. Silly, I say!

I mean, it's swell that it smells. But how does it compare to the properties of regular PLA? Does it warp less? Stronger, weaker? Rigid or flexible? Makes toast?

 

only robo filament I have used is the free stuff that comes with it. not that great, but they said the supplier of the sample pack was different than their main line. ah, who needs quality when it smells nice? haha.

 

Hey, I didn't say silly was a BAD thing.

 

It's not open source unless you count the fact that it uses open source hardware, firmware, and an open source mechanic. But they will not be releasing their source files.

Word on the street is June, but I'll believe it when I see it