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3D print your own animated, 3D-printer-shaped wireless charger for less than $50, thanks to Bambu Labs
3D printer owners yearning for a stylized wireless charger may be in luck— leading 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Labs has released a wireless charger kit modeled on their A1 Mini printer, containing all the electronics needed to make it work once you print your own shell materials.
The Bambu Labs A1 Mini 3D printer this wireless charger is modeled after has already been highlighted as the Best Compact 3D Printer in our roundup of the Best 3D Printers, so it serves as a perfect companion piece. Plus, since it's 3D printable, you can print it in whatever color you happen to want — the pictured white is very optional.
Once printed and assembled, the wireless charger modeled after the A1 Mini (complete with a moving mechanical Z-axis arm and breathing light logo), can be run in one of 7 modes that will change the behavior of the breathing light and mechanical arm.
Modes 1, 2, and 7 are the only ones properly supported by the A1 Mini wireless charger. Modes 1 and 2 both move the arm back and forth for one cycle and temporarily brighten the LED for 10s before returning to default brightness, imitating a quick "print".
Mode 7 turns off the light and the motor and just runs wireless charging by itself.
Modes 3-6 are supported by a different "Air Force Command Headquarters" wireless charging kit, and open up breathing light options as well as continuous motion options.
The A1 Mini wireless charger itself also comes with both a High and Low power mode to compensate for different devices and their charging needs — so if you happen to use an older phone with support for wireless charging, it should still work on the Low power mode.
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Overall, this is a cute little gizmo, but it should be noted that fully-assembled wireless chargers are readily available on Amazon for much cheaper than this. If you're a 3D printing fan or you just like novel gizmos in general, though, this may be an ideal fit for your desk or bedside table.
Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.
