MakerBot made an announcement at SXSW (News - Alert) Interactive that few were expecting, and many are interested in. The company is developing the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, a prototype for its MakerBot 3D Ecosystem suite, for easier and more customer-friendly 3D printing.

MakerBot’s CEO Bre Pettis said the company is “super excited” to finally pull the veil off this new project, adding “It’s a natural progression for us to create a product that makes 3D printing even easier.”

At SXSW, the company debuted its prototype model that MakerBot is continuing to test, scan and print in 3D the items that have been scanned. The MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner will fit in with the company’s other successful 3D printing products including the MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer, Thingiverse.com, MakerWare, MakerCare, and the various apps available from Thingiverse. Despite this, their newest product is unprecedented and stands out from the rest.

“This is something you would envision being a piece of fiction, but in fact, it is real--and it is so cool,” said Pettis. “The MakerBot Digitizer is a great tool for archiving, prototyping, replicating, and digitizing prototypes, models, parts, artifacts, artwork, sculptures, clay figures, jewelry, etc. If something gets broken, you can print it again.”

The way the digitizer works is hard to understand, but in a basic sense it works like this, says Pettis: “The MakerBot Digitizer is an innovative new way to take a physical object, scan it, and create a digital file--without any design, CAD software or 3D modeling experience at all--and then print the item again and again on a MakerBot Replicator 2 or 2X (News - Alert) Desktop 3D Printer.”

The company announced at SXSW during Pettis’ opening remarks that not only is the digitizer currently in the works, but their vision for its use is expansive. Someday soon the product could be used in businesses, universities, classrooms and even the home.

The most exciting part of the announcement and the product is that the company has worked and is working hard to ensure it is a usable device with little-to-no stress in setup and use.

“Everyone will be able to scan a physical item, digitize it, and print it in 3D--with little or no design experience,” said Pettis.

For more information on the MakerBot 3D Ecosystem and its newest member, the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, visit www.makerbot.com/digitizer.