LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MakerBot, the global leader in desktop 3D printing, together with SoftKinetic®, the leading provider of 3D vision and gesture recognition solutions, are excited to jointly announce an exclusive strategic partnership during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This partnership is expected to help MakerBot expand its 3D Ecosystem and 3D Printing Platform, and enhance the ease of use and connectivity of MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers and Scanners.  This strategic partnership is also expected help SoftKinetic enhance its 3D camera technology for 3D scanning.

The exclusive relationship between MakerBot and SoftKinetic is focused on the development of next generation 3D cameras based on SoftKinetic's technology for inclusion in future MakerBot 3D scanning products.  SoftKinetic's DepthSense® 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth capture technology is designed to create a seamless user experience with MakerBot Scanners and MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers, making scanning and printing 3D images as easy as taking a picture. 

SoftKinetic is the leading provider of 3D vision and gesture recognition technologies for the consumer electronics, automotive and industrial markets; it is comprised of a team of mathematicians, 3D imaging specialists, software engineers and user experience experts that aim to revolutionize the interaction with digital content.   Texas Instruments has licensed SoftKinetic's 3D sensor technology in a collaboration that seeks to increase adoption of gesture control in television, personal computers, and other consumer and industrial devices.  Intel's perceptual computing platform is based on SoftKinetic's DepthSense 3D cameras and iisu® 3D gesture recognition middleware, and SoftKinetic was also chosen by Sony to bring 3D gesture recognition experience to game titles for the PS4. 

"It's really exciting for the future of 3D scanning and 3D printing to exclusively partner with SoftKinetic," said Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot.  "SoftKinetic is a leader in its industry and is developing hardware components that will transform the physical world into the digital.  We are very excited to be a part of this development, linking 3D image capture with fifth generation MakerBot products to create exhilarating user experiences for our customers.  The future will be very exciting indeed."

"SoftKinetic is an enabling platform for building amazing user experiences, and our goal is to make things such as 3D scanning and printing intuitive, natural and fun," said Michel Tombroff, CEO of SoftKinetic. "MakerBot is leading the next industrial revolution and their vision is very well aligned with ours. We are delighted to partner with MakerBot to bring the next generation, 3D printing experience to the consumer."

About MakerBot

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys, Ltd., is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing.  Founded in 2009, MakerBot has built the largest installed base of desktop 3D printers sold to innovative and industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers, educators and consumers.  The MakerBot 3D Ecosystem drives accessibility and rapid adoption of 3D printing and includes: Thingiverse.com, the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, the MakerBot Replicator line of Desktop 3D Printers, MakerWare software, MakerCare, the MakerBot retail store, and strategic partnerships with top-tier brands. MakerBot has been honored with many accolades, including Popular Mechanics' "Overall Winner" for best 3D printer, Time Magazine's "Best Inventions of 2012," Popular Mechanics' "Editor's Choice Award," Popular Science's "Product of the Year," Fast Company's "One of the World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Consumer Electronics," and many more.  Join the Next Industrial Revolution by following MakerBot at makerbot.com.

About SoftKinetic

SoftKinetic's vision is to give everyone the freedom to control, explore and enjoy the entire digital world through the most natural and intuitive user interfaces and machine interactions. SoftKinetic is the leading provider of gesture-based platforms for the consumer electronics and professional markets, including interactive digital entertainment, consumer electronics, health care, digital signage, and medical systems. The company offers a complete family of 3D imaging and gesture recognition solutions, including patented 3D CMOS time-of-flight sensors, modules and cameras (DepthSense® family of products, formerly known as Optrima product family), multi-platform and multi-camera 3D gesture recognition middleware and tools (iisu® family of products) as well as games and applications from SoftKinetic Studios.  For more information on SoftKinetic please visit www.softkinetic.com. For videos of SoftKinetic-related products visit SoftKinetic's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/SoftKinetic.

About Stratasys

Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel, manufactures 3D printers and materials for prototyping and production. The company's patented FDM^® and PolyJet^® 3D printing technologies produce prototypes and manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include 3D printers for idea development, prototyping and direct digital manufacturing. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape and the company operates the RedEye digital-manufacturing service. Stratasys has more than 1,700 employees, holds over 500 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 20 awards for its technology and leadership. Online at: stratasys.com or blog.stratasys.com.

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SOURCE MakerBot