3-D printers get heavy exposure at CES 2014

The market for 3-D printers could break wide open in March thanks to the introduction of a pre-assembled $499 printer.

da Vinci 1.0 is among the 3-D printers that was introduced at CES 2014 in Las Vegas.

Other 3-D printers that are already on the market at varying price points include MakerBot and  PrintrBot.

Of course, the name “3-D printing” is really kind of misleading. It’s more like 3-D manufacturing. Instead of making a photocopy of a piece of paper, a 3-D printer is a machine that actually makes an item by creating it layer by layer out of plastic, metal, or other material — such as this Marble Run Yoda Base you see pictured here.

For further reading:

• 3-D printers to become mainstream
• Prosthetics are cheap with 3-D printers
• The American spirit triumphs at CES 2014
• 3-D printers get heavy exposure at CES