As reported by SolidSmack last week, MakerBot has announced that the MakerBot Digitizer 3D scanner is ready for pre-order. In the announcement video released today, MakerBot Founder and CEO Bre Pettis encourages you to “blaze a trail into the future…this is an amazing adventure we get to go on together.” So it is.

MakerBot Digitizer: The $1400 3D Scanner

We saw our first glimpse of MakerBot’s foray into the world of 3D scanning at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin back when it closely resembled an original MakerBot Thing-O-Matic rather than the sleek(er) Replicator 2 3D Printer. Today, we get to see more juicy product shots of what might very well be one of the most important pieces missing from MakerBot’s product ecosystem. While there are a myriad of product designers and others with CAD knowledge, the stretch is few and far in-between. As the name ‘Replicator’ no doubt means, the ability to ‘replicate’ something is the ability that MakerBot wants it’s prosumer-based market to have. For those that always wanted to 3D print something but didn’t know the difference between an extrude or a cut in SolidWorks, life just got a whole lot easier:

1) Scan

2) Adjust in MakerWare

3) Print

4) Share a joke about 2D Scanners with Bre

Today, MakerBot has opened pre-orders for the Digitizer with a price of $1400 and a shipping date set around mid-October. Combined, the cost of a Replicator 2 3D printer and a Digitizer 3D scanner will set one back $3599—not too shabby considering the cost of a similar setup less than five years ago. Currently, MakerBot is focusing on the designer market to provide a quick, reliable, and affordable option for modifying prototypes and other 3D models (that can fit on an 8 x 8 inch surface).

Official Specs and Product Shots:

PERFORMANCE

• Scan size
  Up to 20.3 (diameter) x 20.3 cm (H)
  [8 x 8 in.]
• Dimensional accuracy
  ± 2.0 mm [± 0.079 in]
• Detail resolution
  0.5 mm [0.197 in]
• Triangles per 3D model
  Approx. 200K
• Scan speed
  Approx. 12 minutes
• Steps per rotation
  800 per rotation
• Optimal Light Conditions
  Artificial indoor light
• Maximum weight on turntable
  3 kg [6.6 lbs]

SOFTWARE

• Included Software
  MakerWare for Digitizer
• Exported File Types
  STL
• Operating Systems
  Windows (7+)
  Mac OSX (10.7+)
  Linux (Ubuntu 12.04+)

COMPONENTS

• Lasers
  Two eye-safe Class 1 laser line generators
• Camera
  1.3 megapixel CMOS image sensor
• Enclosure Material
  PC ABS
• Connectivity
  USB connection
• Stepper Motor
  0.9° step angle with 1/16 micro-stepping

DIMENSIONS

• Product Dimensions
  47.5 (L) x 20.3 (H) x 41.1 cm (W)
  [18.7 x 8.0 x 16.2 in]
• Shipping Dimensions
  52.1 (L) x 24.4 (H) x 47.0 (W) cm
  [20.5 x 9.6 x 18.5 in]
• Product Weight
  2.1 kg [4.7 lbs]
• Shipping Weight
  5.0 kg [11.0 lbs]
• Storage Temperature
  0°–55° C [32°–90° F]
• Operating Temperature
  15°–32° C [60°–90° F]
• AC Input
  100–240 V, ~2 amps, 50–60 Hz
• Power Requirements
  12 V DC @ 2.08 amps

(Images via MakerBot)