Hasbro partners with 3-D printing leader on kid-friendly platform

HASBRO INC. and 3D Systems Inc., the company that first commercialized 3-D printing technology in the 1980s, have announced a partnership to develop
HASBRO INC. and 3D Systems Inc., the company that first commercialized 3-D printing technology in the 1980s, have announced a partnership to develop "new immersive, creative play experiences powered by 3-D printing" for children. Above, two girls print out miniature replicas of furniture and accessories from a virtual home they designed using 3D Systems' Digital Dollhouse app. / COURTESY 3D SYSTEMS INC.

PAWTUCKET – Hasbro Inc. has announced a partnership with Rock Hill, S.C.-based 3D Systems Inc. to develop 3-D printing platforms geared toward children to be brought to market sometime later this year.

3D Systems founder Charles W. Hull invented and patented 3-D printing technology, or “stereolithography,” in 1986, and the company was the first to commercialize the procedure in the late 1980s. Today, 3D Systems serves as a provider of 3-D printers and print materials, and also offers outsourced prototyping services, scan-to-CAD software integration, and 3-D design and modeling tools.

Under their partnership, Hasbro and 3D Systems will “co-develop, co-venture and deliver new immersive, creative play experiences powered by 3-D printing for children and their families” by leveraging the “entirety of Hasbro’s world-renowned brands” – which includes Transformers, My Little Pony, Play-Doh, Nerf and other popular toy franchises – as well as Hasbro’s retail reach.

“We believe 3-D printing offers endless potential to bring incredible new play experiences for kids, and we’re excited to work with 3D Systems, a recognized industry leader in this space,” said Hasbro President and CEO Brian Goldner in the release announcing the alliance.

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In addition to its product line of 3-D printers and related services, 3D Systems offers a suite of software applications that showcase “the 3-D printed lifestyle,” like Blokify, an iOS app designed for kids that turns ideas into physical models in a matter of hours through block-based modeling software and one-click wireless 3-D printing.

Another app currently in development, called Digital Dollhouse, lets children design their own virtual homes and then print out miniature replicas of furniture and accessories using a home 3-D printer to assemble a physical dollhouse that exactly mirrors its digital counterpart.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Hasbro – a premier, global, branded play company – to jointly define, shape and lead the entire digital play space, powered by 3-D printing,” said Avi Reichental, president and CEO of 3D Systems, in the release.

Representatives of Hasbro Inc. were not immediately available to answer questions about how the “play printers and platforms” to be developed with 3D Systems might function, or what the price point of such a product might be. 3D Systems’ Cube personal 3-D printer, its least expensive product offering, starts at $1,299.

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