We were excited to test out the Da Vinci AiO 3-D scanner-printer, because it had the potential to make 3-D printing approachable for anybody with an electrical socket.
Too bad it's a flop.
The all-in-one scanner and printer, made by XYZprinting, lets you 3-D print objects without knowing how to design anything. There's no complicated software involved. You can just put an object inside, and a couple hours later, you'll have a plastic replica of that object. It's like copy and print.
In theory, anyway.
In reality, the Da Vinci AiO totally failed when we tried to scan a Matchbox car. It also couldn't master a stress ball. We finally got it to work by scanning a cube-shaped foam die.
Related: The UPS Store will 3-D print stuff for you
So even though it's just $800, (insanely cheap for this kind of technology), you might not want to rush out to buy the Da Vinci AiO.
But the technology is promising.
If 3-D scanning and printing technology improves, you could envision a day where you could make spare parts, plastic silverware and cups without going to the store.
Did you break a window latch? Just copy one from another window. Missing that sixth screw from your Ikea furniture? Throw one of the screws into the scanner.
One day... but not quite yet.
