the DIWire wire-bending desktop machine

The 3D printing revolution is in full swing and is providing inspiration for a number of similar ways of creating new objects. If you have already seen how successful the 3Doodler pen — which enables users to draw physical pieces into existence — has been, now the DIWire hopes to follow suit by bringing wirebending capabilities to designers’ desktops for easy wireframe prototyping. [1] The DIWire is the first desktop wire bender, a new archetype for rapid prototyping, that transforms drawn curves into bent wire that can be assembled to make just about anything. Check out their Kickstarter campaign here.

Created by Pensa Labs, the device is around the same size as a typical office printer and can be connected to any computer. Users first digitally sketch out the shape they want their wire to be and then send the design to the DIWire. After loading the wire — which can be made of any bendable metal, even steel — the machine feeds it through and bends it according to the digital file. Users can make simple 2D designs or connect multiple wires together through soldering or clips to build up a 3D object. [1] The video below shows the machine in action:

[Ref.] http://www.springwise.com/machine-bends-wire/