App lets children create 3D dolls
2013-03-12 11:05
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Toronto - A new iPad app enables budding
designers and artists to create their own dolls that are made
overnight with 3D printing technology.
The London-based company MakieLab, which also offers
customized toys and games, said it seeks to encourage creativity
and crafting. With the Makies Doll Factory, children can design
the doll's facial features, hairstyle and clothing.
"The technology means we can make dolls with individual
faces, or dinosaurs with unusual markings, or cars with
specially-designed trims," said Alice Taylor, the company's
founder and CEO. "That's something that mass production can't
do, and 3D printing can do."
When the digital version is finished in the app, it is sent
to 3D printers that manufacture the body parts, which are
assembled and dressed so the 10-inch (25.4cm) dolls can be
shipped within 24 to 36 hours after ordering.
The 3D technology prints objects from computer designs by
adding plastic layer-upon-layer until an object is formed.
The dolls, which are manufactured in Amsterdam and London,
can also feature flashing eyes and cheeks by inserting
an electronic chip into the doll's head.
The basic dolls sell for $89. Hair, skin and
clothing can each be added for additional fees. The company said it is working on iPhone and Android
apps and a game that will allow the dolls to co-exist in the
digital world.
Taylor said with 3D printing toys can be manufactured
locally and quickly, but she doesn't expect the technology
to replace traditional toy manufacturing methods.
"A lot of people ask, 'Is this going to replace injection
molding?' And the answer is of course not because injection
molding is cheap and we're always going to need mass produced
stuff," she said.
Other 3D printing apps include 123D Create by Autodesk,
which allows users to create 3D characters.
