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Open Bionics’ latest 3D-printed arm goes on sale next month
Open Bionics announced today that its 3D-printed Hero Arm prosthetic will be available for purchase in the UK next month. The company's founders started Open Bionics because they were interested in developing prosthetic limbs that were less expensive than traditional options, which typically cost tens of thousands of dollars. Using 3D-scanning and 3D-printing, they aim to produce more affordable options that can be constructed much more quickly than other prosthetic devices. In the past, they've developed Star Wars-, Iron Man- and Frozen-themed prosthetic hands for children as well as a Deus Ex-inspired arm.
Sony Xperia XZ1's scanner comes with a 3D printing service
When Sony introduced the Xperia XZ1 at IFA, the Japanese tech giant said it was seeking partnerships with 3D printing services to go with its pre-loaded 3D scanning app. Now, Sony and Sculpteo have revealed that they've teamed up to give people the power to 3D print anything anytime they want to, using only the XZ1. You don't need to fire up your computer during any part of the process at all.
HP's Sprout Pro looks nicer (and works better) than the original
In 2014, HP unveiled the original Sprout -- a unique all-in-one with a projector and camera extrusion that turns the surface between you and the display into an interactive space. It was designed for creative professionals and hobbyists, and a later version released in 2016 targeted the classroom. This year, HP has a new Sprout called the Pro G2, which the company says is a completely redesigned device, featuring "a higher resolution projection, more powerful processing, advanced 3D scanning and a more accurate precision active pen for drawing compared to the previous model." Basically, then, the Pro G2 should feel faster, more precise and more realistic than before, which seems to us more like an incremental upgrade than an overhaul.
Full-body 3D scanning is about to get faster and cheaper
3D scanners come in all shapes and sizes these days, and obviously the bigger you go, the more you have to pay. In the case of full-body scanning, many existing solutions require you to stand still for 12 to 14 seconds which isn't ideal for both the customer and the vendor, plus they tend to take up a large amount of space. Luckily, that won't be the case with a new machine from Japanese startup VRC. Unveiled at CEATEC, the Shun'X -- "shun" meaning "instantaneous" and "x" implying limitless possibilities -- can scan a person in merely four seconds, and its footprint takes up just six square meters of space as opposed to the typical nine to eleven square meters.
HP's 3D-scanning Sprout Pro PC is built for schools
HP originally pitched its 3D-scanning Sprout computer to creatives and hobbyists, but doesn't it seem like an ideal machine for curious classrooms? The company agrees, apparently. It's introducing the Sprout Pro, a version of the unique all-in-one for businesses and schools. It's brawnier (you get a 6th-generation Core i7 with improved graphics), but the big deal is the addition of software that makes it far more useful from groups. You can share the view from the scanner, the webcam or your screen, in case you want to show a project to the class -- you can even send 2D captures through Skype for Business. There are also tools that turn the downward-facing camera into a pro-grade document scanner and magnifier.
Microsoft wants you to scan in 3D using only your phone
If you want to do some 3D scanning, you usually have to get either a dedicated scanner or a less-than-elegant add-on. Microsoft Research and the University of Oxford think there's a better way, though. Their MobileFusion project captures 3D models using only an app on your smartphone. The software scans objects by comparing image frames from your phone's camera and creating stereo depth maps from the results -- you just have to walk around an object to get more detail. It's much like Kinect Fusion, but you're not tied to either a PC or a clunky peripheral.
Snugs uses 3D scanners to build you bespoke earbuds
Whether in-ear 'phones cost £10 or £1000, nearly all come with the same three sizes of rubbery buds you use to wedge them in your trophy handles. UK company Snugs, however, offers a more personalised approach, measuring the unique curves of your ear canals to tailor bespoke buds that promise the best in noise isolation and comfort. Before, a Snugs fitting would entail earfuls of fast-setting paste that cured into a mold the company could use to create custom buds. Now, though, Snugs is making the jump from physical models to 3D scanning technology, in order to make the whole process quicker, better and more accessible to you and me.
Google's experimental 3D-scanning tablet goes on public sale for $512
If you're fascinated (or baffled) by Google's spatially aware, three-dimensionally scanning Project Tango tablet, you can now buy and try one yourself. The in-development tablet is now (still?) $512, invite-free at the Google Store. While the device is no longer a conceptual toy, it's still expressly aimed at developers, as Google looks to them to add functionality -- and ideas as to what to do with those spatial sensors built inside. Perhaps the most unusual part is that this wider retail release was dropped a mere day before Google I/O kicks off. Don't get too aggrieved if Project Tango 2 suddenly appears.
Art exhibit lets you draw on a 3D self-portrait
Most self-portraits are, by definition, solo affairs. However, artists Alon Chitayat and Rosalie Yu are blurring those lines a bit. Their Skin Deep art installation lets you draw on 3D-scanned models of the creators, giving their self-portraits your own creative spin. You don't even need any special tools -- all you do is doodle on specially marked paper, and webcams translate the relevant sections to textures. While you sadly won't have an easy time trying Skin Deep yourself (it was made as part of New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program), it's easy to see the underlying concept applying elsewhere. You could see games where players personalize their characters, or 3D painting programs where real-world art adds some flair to digital masterpieces.
HP to show off its 3D-scanning 'Sprout' PC next week
HP is synonymous with mass-market PCs and notebooks, but according to a report from Re/code, HP is trying it proverbial hand at something new. According to the usual slew of unnamed sources, the company (which is currently undergoing some business mitosis) will show off a novel new Windows PC called the Sprout at an event in New York next week. We're not using the word "novel" lightly here, either: the Sprout is comprised of a big flat screen display paired with an expansive surface for touch input and a combination projector/3D scanner that hangs above it.
Maybe it's not Maybelline: Omote paints your face with digital makeup
Enhancing the world around us with projectors and 3D scanners is nothing new. But what about stylizing yourself? With Omote, you can use face-tracking tech to paint on digital makeup -- or anything imaginable, really. In the demo below, it renders a variety of makeup styles and visual effects (like changing eye color) on a model's face. What's most impressive, though, is that the CGI-like projection reflects her movements in real-time. This doesn't necessarily mean your face-painting days are coming to an end though, ladies. Omote's visual magic is equipment-heavy and limited; the woman in the video below never leaves her seat and doesn't crack so much as a smile. But if you someday find yourself using the technology to virtually try a new shade of foundation, we wouldn't be surprised.
Remixing Renaissance art with help from a 3D scanner
Some of the world's oldest art is getting a bit of a facelift. Brooklyn artist Barry X Ball has developed a way to recreate Renaissance-era sculptures using 3D scanning. Rather than printing duplicates, Ball takes the statues "to the next level," by adding on to them. In some cases that means finishing details in the way he thinks the original artist intended, and in others he's looking to make something completely new. For instance, in one of his sculptures he replaced the roughed out head of Jesus in a famous Michelangelo sculpture with the original artist's head, a tribute to him since he died a few days after carving it.
SoftKinetic's 3D scanning solution aims to popularize MakerBot's printers
SoftKinetic, the 3D gesture middleware provider for Intel and Ubisoft's Just Dance 2014 for the PS4, is once again catching our attention by announcing its strategic partnership with MakerBot at CES. These two companies will work on optimizing the former's time-of-flight depth camera technology for 3D scanning, which will hopefully help popularize MakerBot's 3D printers. While we didn't get to see objects being printed live at the show, SoftKinetic's CMO Eric Krzeslo surprised us by how quickly he could scan a person's face using his depth camera. The data was then sent to Volumental's impressive cloud service, which returned a printer-ready render in a matter of minutes. See for yourself in our video after the break. SoftKinetic also announced that NVIDIA's Tegra Note 7 platform comes with the former's gesture recognition middleware, as well as support for its DepthSense 3D Time-of-Flight USB camera. This means OEMs or developers will be able to quickly implement short-range ("as close as 6 inches away") gesture control on NVIDIA's tablet reference design. At this rate, it shouldn't be long before we can control our tablets from afar -- it's just too much effort to reach over one's bowl of noodles to poke the screen.
A sub-$600 desktop 3D scanner that folds into a box
Hidden in amongst the armies of 3D scanners in the South Hall of CES is the Matterform: a crowdfunded, $579 desktop 3D scanner that's also its own carrying case. The device operates on similar principles as other devices in the space, namely MakerBot's Digitizer. There are a couple of clear differences between the two offerings, right off the bat; first and foremost the price, with Matterform's offering coming in at a fraction of MakerBot's scanner. Also cool is the fact that the rotating bed also raises and lowers, so you get more angles for a fuller picture of the object being scanned. And then there's the fact that the whole thing folds up into a rugged case with a handle, for those ever-important 3D-scanning house calls. There's more info in the source link, including video of the included software in action. You can also pre-order the device there, if you're so inclined.
Here's that $500 3D scanner for the iPad
That new consumer 3D scanner we told you about a little while ago? Here it is. Well, sort of. This iSense is actually a prototype, as you can probably tell from the 3D printed mold behind the camera. We asked CEO Avi Reichental if there was any possibility that the company might 3D print the casing at some point, to help future-proof the peripheral, and he certainly seemed open to the idea, though don't expect that in the version of the product shipping in Q2. At a cursory glance, the camera and the sensor appear similar -- if not exactly the same -- as the ones found on the sense. Around this, you'll find a brushed metal housing that helps the camera blend in a bit more with the iPad's backing. As for why this unit is $100 more than the Sense, we suspect it has something to do with the much smaller form factor, which helps make this a truly portable scanner, with a Lightning cable that plugs directly into the tablet. We couldn't take a shot of the software, as that's also still firmly in the beta stage, though you can expect it to be pretty similar to what you get with the Sense.
3D Systems' Sense scanner is compact, $400 and ready to transform 3D printing as we know it
"Game changer" isn't a term that ought be thrown around loosely. It's the kind of thing that loses value each time it's uttered -- sort of how everyone's a "genius" of some kind or other these days. Every so often, though, we get to spend some time with a product that seems to wear the moniker well. We're going to hold off here, of course -- wait until we've spent some more time 3D Systems' Sense scanner and more or less dance around the phrase in the meantime. But man, we've been pretty ecstatic about the Sense since we saw it in action a day or two ago. You see, ever since desktop 3D printers became a realistic possibility for consumers, we've been waiting for a missing link -- something that would fill in the gap between concept and creation, without the formal training required to learn CAD. It's clear, of course, that a solution is on its way, given the massive sums of money currently being pumped into the space. After all, whoever becomes the first to unlock such a thing would have a considerable advantage among the dozens of companies vying for the top prize. MakerBot swung for the fences with the Digitizer, an attempt to do for 3D scanning what its Replicator line has done for 3D printing. And indeed, we were largely impressed with the product during our hands-on earlier this week. The $1,400 lazy Susan-esque device will no doubt find success among the maker community the company has successfully courted. Common wisdom, after all, is that 3D printing and its ilk are seeding the enthusiast community first, with casual users somewhere on the distant horizon. Surely such cost and size limitations will ensure they remain the realm of enthusiasts through the first few iterations. With the Sense, measuring roughly the same as a staple gun and boasting a price falling somewhere around that of a premium tablet, 3D Systems looks positioned to leapfrog such expectations.
Bre Pettis on the MakerBot Digitizer: we're building an ecosystem (video)
"We get to set the standard in desktop 3D scanning," Bre Pettis says, beaming. "When we looked out at the world and saw what 3D scanners could do, we wanted to make something that could make really high quality models that you could create on your MakerBot." The CEO can't stop smiling at the close of the Digitizer's official press launch. It's the smile of a man who has just shown off a major piece of the puzzle -- an object that helps answer the question of just how, precisely, average consumers can create products to 3D print. "We're really building out an ecosystem," he says of the scanner, which joins the Replicator 2, MakerWare software and the Thingiverse online database in the MakerBot portfolio. "The game is on, we're building a nice suite of products that work really well together." It's a pricey piece, of course, coming in at $1,400, but Pettis insists that it'll give users a much fuller experience than hacked Kinect-type solutions, thanks in large part to the Digitizer's software solution. "There are DIY options out there, but we've spent the time and energy on the software to make this a really seamless experience." And as for a potential Replicator / Digitizer bundle deal, well, Pettis is only saying, "stay tuned."
Volumental's browser-based 3D scanning project brings your work to the cloud
These days, it seems like everyone and their dog is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund their very own 3D printer, and the market's quickly become saturated with a plethora of models to choose from. Not quite as popular are crowd-funded 3D scanning solutions. Volumental, a Stockholm-based startup, is looking to bridge that gap with a Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 for its browser-based 3D scanning project. What sets Volumental's endeavor apart is that it requires such a bare bones setup: all you need are the necessary drivers, a browser and any OpenNI compliant depth camera, like Kinect or PrimeSense. Once the scan has been made, the process moves to the cloud, where users can share models and access the most up-to-date software available. To find out more, head on over to Volumental's Kickstarter page (linked below) or check out the video after the break.
Fuel3D brings point-and-shoot 3D scanning prototype to Kickstarter
As a seemingly endless stream of companies work to bring the world its first truly mainstream desktop 3D printer, a number of folks are attempting to bridge a fairly fundamental disconnect: how to best help the average consumer get their hands on 3D models in the first place. Databases are a decent solution -- Thingiverse has a devoted community of makers working around to clock to create cool things for us to print out. Simplified software can work, too, but that still requires some artistic talent on the part of the creator. 3D scanners seem to be the most popular solution these days, from Microsoft's Kinect to MakerBot's lazy Susan-esque Digitizer. Fuel3D is the latest company to take its entry to Kickstarter. The handheld 3D scanner is based on a technology developed at Oxford University for medical imaging purposes. Now the company is looking to bring it to market at under $1,000, offering full-color, high-res 3D scans through simple point-and-shoot execution. Once captured, that information can be exported for things like the aforementioned 3D printing and computer modeling. The first three folks who pledge $750 will get their hand on a pre-production model and those who pony up $990 will receive the triangular final version. The company expects to ship in May of next year -- assuming it hits that $75,000 goal, of course. After all, Fuel3D can't exactly print money -- yet.
3D scanning with the Smithsonian's laser cowboys (video)
"We're not scanning every object in the collection," Adam Metallo tells me, offering up the information almost as soon as we set foot in the Smithsonian's Digitization office. It's an important piece of information he wants to make sure I have, right off the bat. It seems that, when the story of the department's 3D-scanning plans first hit the wire, a number of organizations blew the scope of the project out of proportion a bit. And while the team's project is certainly ambitious, it's not, you know, crazy. It's the work of a three-person team, still in its nascent stages, attempting to prove the value of new technologies to a 167-year-old museum affectionately known as "the nation's attic." In the fall of 2011, Metallo and fellow Smithsonian 3D scanner Vince Rossi (a duo the institute has lovingly deemed its "laser cowboys") unpacked their equipment in Chile's Atacama Desert. "They were widening the Pan-American Highway, and in doing so, they uncovered about 40 complete whale specimens," Rossi explains. "But it might take decades for them to remove the fossils from the rock, so we were able to capture this snapshot of what that looked like in 3D." The tool of choice for the expedition was a laser arm scanner, which utilizes a process the duo compares to painting an object, moving back and forth across its surface as the device records the relative position of its axes.%Gallery-190729%
