Category Archives: News
Artec 3D Scanners Used for Big Bang Theory Cast and the Royal Family
A Look at Artec in the Race for 3D Scanners
The race is on.
MakerBot launched its MakerBot Digitizer desktop 3D scanner earlier this year, selling for $1,400. Radiant Fabrication has an all-in-one 3D scanner and 3D printer. Fuel3D raised $300,000 on Kickstarter for its hand-held 3D scanner. And just this past week, 3D Systems launched a $399 hand-held 3D scanner called Sense.
But there is a veteran in this space: Luxembourg-based Artec Group.
Artec 3D scanners are used today by commercial customers like Hyundai Motor Europe. Hyundai employs Artec 3D scanners to create 3D models of automobile seats for new cars. These models can then be tested and modified for maximum safety and comfort.
In fact, there is a wide range of applications where Artec 3D scanners are being used – everything from the film World War Z to the Brazil football team to fashion design.
And now celebrities.
The Big Bang Theory
Last season on the Big Bang Theory, the nerds got excited about 3D scanning and 3D printing. In Season 6, Episode 14 (called the “Cooper/Kripke Inversion”), Howard and Raj order customized figurines of themselves online.
When the toys arrive, they are quickly disappointed at how poorly the dolls resemblance is. Raj suggests buying a 3D printer to make their own. In the show, they 3D scan themselves as well as Bernadette with a Kinect sensor and 3D print perfect replicas in color.
It turns out that the real scanning was done with an Artec Eva scanner, not a Kinect sensor. The resolution of the Kinect scans was not high enough for a quality, color 3D printed figurine. Instead Artec was selected and Chris Strong from Rapid Scan, an Artec authorized reseller, was invited to the set for the 3D scanning.
Here are 3D models of Bernadette and Howard.
The Royal Family
On a tour of Elstree Film and Television Studios, Britain’s Prince Andrew asked if he himself could be 3D scanned. The Lifecast/Life3D studio team quickly scanned him with an Artec Eva hand-held scanner.
One minute later, a life-like, 3D digital copy was staring back at Prince Andrew from the computer screen.
Learn more about Artec at www.artec3d.com.
3D Printing Week: McDonalds, 3D Systems Sense, IBM M&A Rumor, More
3D Printing News
Here is a roundup of the top 3D printing news from last week.
Fast food giant McDonald’s said it was exploring using 3D printing to personalize toys for Happy Meals.
3D Systems launched a hand-held 3D scanner for its Cubify line. The scanner is called Sense and sells for $399.
In other 3D Systems news, rumors that IBM might acquire DDD drove the stock price up 6%.
And MyMiniFactory, a company by iMakr, launched a Christmas 3D Printing contest, offering an Ultimaker 3D Printer to the winner.
Tuesday, November 5
Wednesday, November 6
Thursday, November 7
Friday, November 8
3D Systems Launches $399 Consumer 3D Scanner; Your Move, MakerBot
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced today the availability of the Sense 3D scanner, the first 3D scanner designed for the consumer and optimized for 3D printing.
“The Sense is the only 3D scanner to deliver precise instant physical photography, so everyone can capture his or her scanable moments,” said 3D Systems in an announcement.
Sense has flexible scan size and can capture everything from a picture-perfect cupcake to a full-body selfie, processing data in seconds for an instantly 3D printable file. Sense comes with an intuitive user interface with easy and automated zoom, track, focus, crop, enhance and share tools. Sense printables can be sent to the Cube and CubeX 3D printers, or directly uploaded to Cubify.com for cloud printing in a range of materials, including Ceramix, Aluminix and Clear.
3D Systems has priced this new device at $399 and it is available for sale on Cubify.com. The Sense will also be sold on Staples.com and in hundreds of Staples retail stores nationwide starting November 18, 2013.
“The Sense is the first ever 3D content camera for everyone, making it possible to capture people, objects and places on the go,” said Rajeev Kulkarni, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Products, 3D Systems. “I anticipate that the Sense’s intuitive nature, portability, range, unmatched quality and powerful user interface and user experience will spur a new social movement around 3D sharable and printable physical photography.”
How Does the MakerBot Digitzer Compare?
The MakerBot Digitizer, launched earlier this year, is a desktop 3D scanner that sells for $1400.
In comparison, the Sense from 3D Systems is a hand-held 3D scanner that is 1/3 of the price.
Related: 3D Scanning for 3D Printing: How Kickstarter is Changing the Game
A Deeper Dive with the Sense
Mobility: The Sense is a hand-held mobile scanner which allows you to scan spontaneously, everywhere you go.
Range: The Sense can scan small and large objects, people and scenes. From something as small as a book to large as a motorcycle. The 3D scanner also has automatic object recognition to detect targets out of a busy background.
Easy to learn: Sense software is intuitive, fast, accurate and easy to use. Scans process in seconds and can be cropped, enhanced and solidified for printables in just minutes. No design experience is necessary.
New software: Scans can be merged in Cubify Sculpt, consumer software for editing STLs, mash-ups and organic modeling. Full integration between the Sense and Cubify Sculpt gives you the creative freedom to import your scans and combine them with other favorite designs.
Sense is powered by 3D Systems’ proprietary Geomagic software, making the Sense unmatched in quality, scan speed and easy editing capabilities for consumers. Sense is the only consumer scanner in its class that delivers professional performance at an affordable consumer price and guarantees an awesome user experience.
Watch the video and learn more at Cubfiy.com/Sense.
Would You Like Fries With That? McDonald’s 3D Printed Happy Meals
McDonald’s IT Director Hints at Happy Meal Personalization Using 3D Printing
As 3D printing continues to be adopted everywhere, you might even see the technology used in your Happy Meal at McDonald’s.
As reported first by The Register, the fast food giant’s UK IT Director, Mark Fabes, indicated that he is considering adopting 3D printing to enhance the Happy Meal experience.
Fabes remarks came at technology conference in Munich, where he pontificated that giving kids the ability to personalize the toy in their Happy Meal might draw more foot traffic and sales.
“It’s just a thought,” said Fabes in an interview, quick to caveat that this is not an official plan.
If McDonald’s were to embrace 3D printing, Fabes explained, they would need to find a big technology partner who could provide robust support for equipment, maintenance, and safety.
CC image by happymealy.
Win an Ultimaker in MyMiniFactory 3D Printing Christmas Design Contest
iMakr Has Launched Its Second Design Contest for My Mini Factory as it Ramps Up Its Design Base
MyMiniFactory.com, a platform for free 3D printable designs, is hosting its second design contest. The winner will receive a Ultimaker 1 3D printer worth £1,690.
Launched in June 2013, My Mini Factory features a large range of free 3D printable objects that are original and unique, and all designs are test printed by the My Mini Factory team on affordable 3D Printers to ensure their quality.
“MyMiniFactory.com is the world’s 2nd largest platform of 3D printable files,” said Romain Kidd, Chief Marketing Officer, iMakr.com. “Downloads come from around the world. The designer base – both in-house and external – is in the several hundred, and very multinational as well.”
Looking to tap into this talented base, My Mini Factory has launched a Christmas Design Contest, calling on the worldwide community of 3D designers to upload their designs. Beautiful and functional printable objects will then be exposed to the large audience of enthusiasts who visit MyMiniFactory.com, and designers will can soon start earning money from downloads of their objects.
This is the site’s second design competition. We spoke with Romain Kidd, CMO iMakr.com about the results of the first contest.
“The Autumn contest was very successful,” Kidd told us in an interview. “We had close to 50 successful entrants. XYZ workshop (Australia) won first place with their ‘Micro Planter Chess Set‘, and the first place runner up was Billy Sides (USA) with his ‘Minion Chess Set‘. We are targeting more entrants this Christmas and the same quality of designs.”
The Autumn contest winner received an UP! Mini 3D Printer.
MyMiniFactory.com is owned by UK-based iMakr.VC, the same group that owns iMakr, the world’s largest 3D printing store. As a 3D printing value added re-seller, iMakr is solving the problem of “what should I 3D print?” with MyMiniFactory.com, similar to the relationship between MakerBot and Thingiverse.com.
Related: Video: iMakr 3D Printing Store Grand Opening in London
Christmas Design Contest Details
To enter the Christmas design contest applicants need to 3D model and upload a design to either (or both) of the submission design categories -
- Category 1 - a 3D printable decorative object with an ‘endangered species’ theme
- Category 2 – a 3D printable object for use during the seasonal festivities / with a seasonal theme
My Mini Factory will be accepting entries until November 20, after which entries will be posted on the website for a 3 week voting period.
The competition is open to applicants worldwide, they simply register with My Mini Factory and submit an entry through the upload system.
All the entries will be 3D printed by the company to assess their printably and functionality. If it successfully passes this print test it will be entered into the contest. Designers will be provided with feedback if there are any problems with their file/design.
During the voting period each entry will have it’s own personal page to receive downloads from.
The design with the most downloads will be the grand prize winner, and will receive an Ultimaker 1 3D printer worth £1,690 in time for Christmas!
