We believe that 3D printing has the potential to fundamentally change how things are designed and made, but the industry is still in its infancy. With Spark, we want to enable the acceleration of innovation in 3D printing so that everyone can have even better experiences faster, and make 3D printing accessible and relevant to millions, if not billions, of people.
Spark is an open 3D printing platform that will make it easier for hardware manufacturers, software developers, materials scientists, product designers, and more to participate in and benefit from this technology. Spark connects digital information to 3D printers in a new and streamlined way, making it easier to visualize prints and optimize them without trial and error, while also broadening the range of materials that can be used for printing. And because the Spark platform is open, everyone can use its building blocks to further push the limits of 3D printing and drive fresh innovation.
A tight integration between hardware and software is critical to a successful 3D printing process. Just as mobile devices and apps work seamlessly together, the 3D design software and 3D printer need to work in close partnership. As a reference for the capability of Spark, we’re also introducing a 3D printer built on the platform and setting a new benchmark for the 3D printing user experience.
In keeping with our open approach, we will make it simple to integrate new materials into our printer, and will also make the design files for the printer available so others can iterate on and enhance its capabilities.
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
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