A Big Name From Drones Steps Into 3D Printing
DJI is best known as the giant of the consumer drone world. From camera drones buzzing over cities to professional aerial rigs used in film and industry, DJI has become almost a default name for flying tech.
Now reports say DJI has invested in Elegoo, a fast growing 3D printer maker. If you follow gadgets, maker culture, or just love new tech, this move is worth paying attention to. It connects two booming worlds: drones and desktop 3D printing.
Elegoo started as a budget friendly brand focused on hobbyists and beginners. Over time it evolved into a serious player in 3D printing, especially in affordable resin printers that deliver detailed prints for a low price. DJI stepping in suggests both companies see a bigger future for consumer and prosumer hardware built around making things, not just buying them.
So why is this investment interesting, and what could it mean for the future of creative hardware?
Who Is Elegoo And Why Would DJI Care
Elegoo has become one of the most popular names in desktop 3D printing, especially for people printing miniatures, models, and prototypes.
The company is known for:
- Resin printers that give high detail for a relatively low cost
- Beginner friendly machines that are easy to assemble and calibrate
- Strong communities around 3D printing, especially for tabletop games and cosplay
Elegoo’s success lines up with a bigger trend. 3D printing is no longer just for industrial labs or hardcore engineers. It is turning into something closer to a standard tool for creators, similar to how home photo printers once were. As prices drop and quality rises, more people are willing to experiment with printing their own parts, toys, and gear.
From DJI’s side, their core business is hardware that needs constant innovation. Drones are complex systems that combine:
- Lightweight and strong frames
- High quality cameras
- Smart flight controllers and sensors
- Battery and charging tech
All of that requires tight control over design and manufacturing. An investment in a company like Elegoo suggests DJI sees value in the 3D printing space, either as a strategic partnership or as a way to explore new product lines.
What This Could Mean For Makers And Tech Fans
For people who love building, modding, or tinkering, DJI working with Elegoo opens up some interesting possibilities. While nothing is confirmed publicly, it is easy to imagine a few directions this could go.
First, the worlds of drones and 3D printing already overlap heavily in the maker scene. Hobbyists regularly use 3D printers to create:
- Custom drone frames
- Replacement parts after crashes
- Camera mounts and accessories
- Protective shells and cases
With DJI involved, we could eventually see more official support for printable parts, like open design files for certain accessories or community challenges that use Elegoo printers to customize drones. That would turn what is now a DIY underground scene into something more recognized and supported.
Second, there is the possibility of deeply integrated ecosystems. DJI already sells drones, stabilizers, cameras, and accessories. Elegoo sells printers, resins, filaments, and related gear. Together they could build a more complete hardware playground for creators, where you not only capture footage and images but also design and print physical objects to go with them.
Imagine an ecosystem where you could:
- Scan real world shapes with a camera or drone
- Process them in user friendly software
- Print them directly on a desktop printer
That kind of loop from capture to creation is exactly what many tech companies are chasing: tighter workflows that keep users inside one family of products.
Third, an investment from a large player like DJI could push Elegoo to level up on quality control, software, and long term support. DJI has experience shipping hardware at scale worldwide, handling logistics, support centers, and firmware updates. Some of that operational maturity could spill over into the 3D printing side, which still suffers at times from confusing software, hit or miss user interfaces, and spotty customer support.
At the same time, there are questions. Whenever a big name backs a scrappy brand, fans worry about the loss of openness or community focus. People will be watching to see whether Elegoo keeps supporting experimentation, modding, and third party tools, or whether its products become more locked into a single ecosystem.
Why This Move Fits The Larger Tech Trend
On a bigger scale, the reported investment shows where consumer tech is heading. The main excitement is no longer only in phones and laptops. Instead, the action has shifted to devices that let people create and interact with the world in new ways.
Drones let you change your point of view. 3D printers let you change the objects around you. When companies at the top of one category put money into another, it sends a clear message: creative tools are the next big frontier.
For beginners, this is good news. Competition usually brings better products, lower prices, and more attention to user experience. If DJI’s involvement helps make 3D printing more plug and play, more reliable, and better integrated with cameras and design tools, then the hobby becomes easier to start and more rewarding to stick with.
For experienced makers, this could be the start of a new wave of crossover projects where drone tech, scanning, modeling, and printing all blend together. The more these systems talk to each other, the more wild and ambitious builds we are likely to see from the community.
While we do not yet know every detail or long term plan behind DJI’s reported investment in Elegoo, one thing is clear. Two exciting corners of the tech world are moving closer together. If you are into drones, 3D printing, or just like watching new tools emerge, it is worth keeping an eye on what these two names do next.
Original article and image: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/dronemaker-dji-buys-into-3d-printer-manufacturer-elegoo-move-seen-as-way-to-diversify-away-from-drones-amid-worries-of-u-s-ban
