“In a paper (.pdf) outlining its findings, Ramos’s team points to the Stratasys Objet Connex, which runs a cool $250,000. By contrast, MultiFab was thrown together using roughly $7,000 in off-the-shelf parts. Even more remarkable? The MIT group accomplished those savings without sacrificing quality.”
“Most 3D printers use one material at a time, though some pricey machines have dabbled with up to three materials. But a team of researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) developed the MultiFab 3D printer, which prints up to 10 different materials at once.”
Comparing a commercial produced product for $250,000 and a DIY object produced for $7,000 in a way that makes the cheaper DIY ‘better’ in any way then its cheaper is an article of questionable validity.
Without intending to start another flame war on the subject, the lasersaur is a perfect example. Luke recently posted a link to a video that provided an excellent objective overview of the lasersaur and its drawbacks. I suspect that the MIT machine mentioned has as many, and probably more given the cost differential.
MIT team I bet only counted material costs. Not the unpaid work for development or the capital equipment they had access to for free or no cost inclusion in final product.