New AI-Modeling Printer Creates Fashions from Photographs

It’s 2022 and printers are getting cheaper and extra advanced, largely due to a mixture of low price sensors mixed with smarter software program.

That is the case with the newest providing from Hong Kong-based {hardware} producer KOKONI, who has simply launched a crowdfunding marketing campaign for his or her printer… the KOKONI EC-1.

Their cute little new printer affords the power to print fashions from {a photograph}, captured with the KOKONI digital camera software program app. The corporate is looking this “instantaneous AI-Modeling” for causes that may grow to be clear in a couple of seconds.

With this printer and its software program, you’ll be able to actually take a photograph, have the app’s AI-algorithm convert it to a 3D mannequin, ship it to the printer, and print. No extra 3D scanning, no standing round taking pictures from each angle of an object earlier than stitching the pictures…the software program does all of it.

It’s mainly snap, and print. That’s cool proper?

It’s attention-grabbing for positive.

The press supplies for the product present some pictures of an individual being photographed after which having their plastic avatar printed by the EC-1, and so they point out the phrase “avatar” quite a bit, so one wonders if the main target is on printing human-like collectible figurines quite than different objects.
Personally I’ve no must print a plastic model of myself. I can see conditions the place I might have an approximate mannequin of one thing with out having to get the calipers out for a measuring session although.

“As digital actuality turns into an even bigger a part of our day by day lives, we search methods to make significant connections between the digital and actual worlds. The EC-1 is a part of that journey, with highly effective AI algorithms that make 3D modeling simple for anybody,” mentioned Chen Tianrun, CEO at KOKONI.

“There is no such thing as a longer any must work with sophisticated modeling software program or use costly tools. With only a smartphone and the KOKONI EC-1, photorealistic 3D avatars and fashions come to life on the contact of a button.”

The KOKONI printer comes with a specially-developed nozzle and unique PLA filament which the corporate guarantees will create smoother prints.

Apparently it does this with out clogging due to a “finite ingredient thermal simulation”. That is very attention-grabbing, and we wish to know extra about that. Sadly there’s little data obtainable in regards to the particulars of that function on the marketing campaign web page. Perhaps they’ll develop on this subject after they launch the product…

So, it’s attention-grabbing and funky, and it’s enticing from a product design perspective. However who can be utilizing this printer?

Clearly it’s aimed toward those that don’t wish to fiddle with CAD modeling a lot. But when the app can scan objects to some affordable degree of accuracy, there isn’t a motive this printer can discover a broader collection of clients. Cosplayers might discover some good use for this additionally, though the seemingly small mattress measurement could also be a limiting issue.

Positive, there are different strategies of changing a photograph into an STL file, however the workflows for this are fairly clunky and the outcomes will not be nice. This printer, if it features as promised, might be a sport changer in that regard.

We can be watching the marketing campaign for extra info because it progresses.

You may take a look at extra product particulars over at this hyperlink.