Hi to all,

I am a final year university student in Singapore and I came here to seek advice/help from the seniors here because I am entirely lost and have no prior experiences with 3-D printing.

My project is to create a 3-D printing vending machine whereby users can choose to print from a catalogue of designs or upload their own on the tablet screen or mobile phone. The printer will start printing and once it is done, one sweeper will slide along the platform and slide the finished product into the sorting tube and into the respective locker compartments. To retrieve the product the user has to key in the password to the locker and it will open.

One requirement is that:
-To be able to print (uploading a file or choosing designs from a catalogue) from the display screen (tablet) or remotely via an app on mobile phone (wifi or bluetooth?).

Questions:
1. Will I be able to link the printer to an app that I need to create and connect it to a tablet? (Hardware and software)
2. I am currently looking at the Anet A8 because of budget constraints, is it any good for my project?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and all replies are very much appreciated!

-Benedict