There’s screeching violins and scary guns, minute bikinis and most interesting food. Human stem cells, bionic ears, fetuses or King Richard III.’s reconstructed face. With appliances becoming more affordable, 3D printing has not only enriched the options for the science and technology sectors considerably. A wide array of objects can now be designed and printed up to a certain scale with the range stretching from things practical to weird and from commercial products to manufacturing parts. Bioprinting of portions of the human body for medical purposes has revolutionised the field. And a wealth of exciting developments is still in the pipeline. Experts predict that privately owned 3D printers will be a frequent commodity in the not too distant future and 3-dimensional DIY activities a realistic option for virtually everyone.
Printable models can be created by means of either a computer aided design (CAD) program (for new objects), a 3D scanner or a digital camera plus photogrammetry software (for existing objects). 3dprinting.com explains how the process works in detail: „To prepare the digital file created in a 3D modeling program for printing, the software slices the final model into hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers. When this prepared file is uploaded in the 3D printer, the printer creates the object layer by layer. The 3D printer reads every slice (or 2D image) and proceeds to create the object blending each layer together with no sign of the layering visible, resulting in one three-dimensional object.“
Another intriguing site is www.livescience.com/topics/3d-printing
Twinkind: Own a clone
Sure you want to embark on Gulliver’s travels?
In Berlin, a witty young company – Twinkind – has specialised in producing 3D photo figurines of people wanting to freeze themselves, next-of-kin, friends, lovers, adored pets, anyone, at their present best into memorabilia honed to perfection. This allows kids to display their thus immortal parents dwarfed on living-room shelves or vice-versa, elders to catch a frequent glimpse of their otherwise rarely visible grown offspring. Portraits of entire clans are being produced for the benefit of future generations, at times adorned with a furry best friend happily wagging its tail. Perhaps even the participants of an extraordinary get-together will be looking forward to receiving a parcel by post, containing their tiny little self now saved for posterity.
One cannot turn back time…
Twinkind’s extremely busy schedule demonstrates how popular their offering is. They are amongst the first ones in the world to develop a technology that now makes possible what was absolutely unthinkable a while ago.
What’s the procedure?
Make a booking, appear at the studio, decide the size you want your figurine to have and get scanned in a fraction of a second by about a hundred cameras. „No need to hold your breath for minutes“. That is achievable thanks to a custom-engineered photogrammetric 3D scanner – a process non-hazardous to your health. The system analyses the shape of all visible details to sculpture a 3-dimensional portrait of the real person as authentic as technically feasible. Voxel by voxel (= volume + pixel, a data point on a 3D grid) and layer by layer.
Sizes & Prices
Starting from a scale 1:24 at € 99 to scale 1:5 at € 695. Kids and dogs = 10% less. Accessories like glasses or Laptops cost extra. There are 9 different scales to choose from.
Production time: 2 – 6 weeks (there’s a high demand!)
Shipping
By parcel service or – for those in the vicinity: why not drop by in person?
All you should know before embarking on your elating twin journey is listed here: www.twinkind.com
Images courtesy of ©Twinkind
Who deserves being eternised more than an ever-loyal canine?