These days you see so many people taking selfie pictures. Wouldn’t it be interesting to send someone a different type of “picture” of yourself? You now have the capability of doing just that with this mixture of new technologies.
If you have a Microsoft Kinect and a computer you are ready to go. You use the Kinect as a camera to make a 3D scan of yourself by using a product called Shapify.me – it obtains the full body scan from 8 different angles and assembles them into a 3D image.
After obtaining the 3D image you like, you can use a 3D printing company like Sculpteo to “print” a 4 inch statue of yourself for around $59. The statues are still somewhat crude at this stage but there are continual improvements.
3D printing is exploding right now. There is even a 3D food printer called Foodini now out at a cost of around $1,300.
Could I print a version of me made of food?
Kidding aside, 3D printers are the future. It’s impressive to see what we can do with them. I’ve read an article saying that now Nasa can manufacture rocket engine parts and cut down not only the cost but the manufacturing time. Amazing.
The possibilities of 3d technology are really amazing, especially 3d printing. There are so many potential uses for this kind of scanning and photography.
I don’t see the point of it for selfies, however; not unless I could do it with my cellphone. from anywhere/ “Hi family. Love it here in Italy. What do you think of this selfie of me on the Alps?” That makes sense.
Maybe I am misunderstanding the article and you can incorporate 3d images taken with this method into pics taken anywhere, otherwise…why take a selfie of my in my basement? There’s no interest in that.
This technology is fantastic. It’s almost as if we’re living in the future. It sounds pretty easy and not as expensive as I would have guessed. It’s almost like creating a holograph of yourself. It may be crude now but I can see it continually getting better. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember what it was like in the 60’s and 70’s before technology began booming. The world has changed but I like it most of the time and this sounds fun.
Great idea. The kinect has a lot to offer and it’ll be interesting to see how it will be utilized in the future. And the interaction between the kinect sensors and 3d printing is just one of the amazing ways 😀
I couldn’t care less about the selfie printing, but 3D food printing? Now that got my attention, too bad you didn’t wrote more about it. It’s afar more interesting than the selfie one. If that 3D Food printer would be commercialized I would definitely purchase one.
When I first read this post, I thought the whole idea sounded rather silly. Why would I want a 3D model of myself? Then I thought about the possibilities. This kind of technology could be a necessary utility to plastic surgeons, someone seeking gender reassignment surgery, and a host of other means. I should be careful about letting my shortsightedness stop me from recognizing potential. 3D printing could be the “future” in a lot of interesting ways.
I would argue that computer simulation would be enough to show the patient what the results would be. That said, I hope that this product will be for more than just geeks and kids (action figures and dolls)!
This is really cool. The 3D creations don’t have that great detail but it would still be amazing to see myself like that. You could use this to create really cool things for your friends, maybe even create a bobble head that looks just like you(I’d get that).
3D printing is really the future, I am astonished every time I see stuff like this done.
This is seriously cool! Imagine a future where all pictures are now 3D models. And then imagine a future where all VIDEOS are now 3D models. Holograms here we come!
This is great! I have no idea how the animation/graphic design industry works, but I feel that it may be a great fit for them. Maybe it improves the production of animated films. The possibilities may be endless, really. I am interested in having a 3D printout of myself. These new printers can do amazing things.
Looks like getting a 3D selfie of yourself using Kinect costs around the same price of an average Kinect game. As the site shows, these 3D selfies can store great memories, like, you can have a 3D model of your parents with you when you leave your home, you can have one when your significant other is pregnant, you can have a few models of your friends to remember after the graduation day or at your wedding. Since photos have gone digital, having a 3D model for these unforgettable memories seems a good deal. Looks like 3D printers are finally of good use, after all.
It is really amazing to see not only how rapidly 3D printing technology is developing but also how quickly it’s being put into use in so many different settings, and already available to consumers.
That’s just amazing that people can have a 3D selfie for so little money. Just think of what will happen a year from now or even six months. Suddenly those pictures we’ve been taking of ourselves with our mobile phones to indulge in the selfie craze will give way to the next innovation, and the 3D selfie could be just that. But then we’ll be on to something else, and quickly.
That’s what’s so exciting. Aside from selfies, there are so many vital applications of this 3D printing technology which is so rapidly becoming accessible, both in price and in useability for the average consumer.
That’s actually so cool! It would make a really neat gift for someone. Not of myself, that would be creepy, but a cool picture of themselves in a memory they want to cherish.
Technology is getting better and better every single day. This printing software and company seems amazing. I may have to try this out. It would be so unique to have a 4″ model of my husband and I as a cake piece when we renew our vows or have them as a center piece on the tables.
I know a 12 year old who would love to have his own 3D model printed out. My nephew might beg his Dad for one if he gets to know about this. It might be to cool to keep to keep 3D models of every family member at home. Well we could get our own models for a wedding cake now.
Really neat. I wish I had a Kinect to try this out! Maybe I can hunt down a friend who has one. It would be cool to make little versions of everyone who lives in my house. We could make a 3d chore chart or something 🙂 Perhaps a board game starring us.
The direction that 3D printing is going is just amazing. This method of printing started out as a very crude way of visualizing and feeling designs in 3D. Now we are using them to make these cool things, things that the average consumer can appreciate. I wonder how long it is before these become mainstreams.
3D printing is actually quite confusing. It has been gaining positive reviews from designers, writers, users and business people, but they are still not the new standard in homes. Everywhere 3D printing causes awesomeness and amazement. Whenever these printers are discussed, the future seems a lot more optimistic. And now you are saying it could even print selfies. It can print food and so much more. And then, a few pages later, someone is going to come up with even more cool uses of 3D printers. I don’t even have a specific word for this kind of 3D confusion.
I’m not sure how popular the 3d selfies would be. It seems more like a interesting thing to do for a little bit, but it has no real use. I can see the 3d food making printer making waves in the restaurant business community. It’s a great way to display the food in the window at a low cost. While some companies already offer products such as 3d food sculptures, they’ve never been customized to this extent ever before.
Cool. When 3d printing becomes economically affordable, I see this being a huge trend. You can even make your own avatar for your tabletop games, and that is cool. This has the potential for so many things.
Oh my goodness!! This is the best idea ever! I’ve been looking for a great gift idea and I think this is it! It’s too bad I don’t down a Kinect, and I really don’t think an one time investment for this is worthwhile for me to buy a Kinect. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for someone to lend me one just so I can take some 3D scans and get my own little statue. Maybe it’s a little narcissistic but let’s face it, who wouldn’t want their own miniature version of themselves? They look adorable and well made, to boot. I’m definitely keeping an eye out for this! Thanks!