A novel 3D printing application has been highlighted by i.materialise in the last 24 hours. The Bioscope is the brainchild of independent designers Simon de Bakker and Jon Stam and it is retro cool. This application brings together photograpy, film and technology in the form of a digital movie viewer that looks like a Fisherprice camera. But despite its simplistic look this was a complicated product to design and bring to life. However, passion, talent, dedication and 3D printing proved to be the keys to doing just that.
Jon Stam explains, “For this project, I wanted to recreate the magical experience of those old projectors but adjusted to our modern times by using movies on USB sticks. The Bioscope is interactive and allows the user to move through time with the turn of the crank. Moving forward and backward, as fast or as slow as you want. You’re invited to pause at your favorite moments and reflect. This way people get manual control over digital information and it allows them to transform every viewing into something entirely new and personal.”
Traditional manufacturing techniques proved ineffective for producing the Bioscope, and so the designers turned to 3D printing and the services of imaterialise: “We were thinking about how we could take old technology and adapt it for the modern world. Going down the traditional manufacturing route of making a mould and going into full production was not only too expensive, but it also made it impossible to customise the Bioscopes in the way we wanted.”
“Luckily, there is 3D Printing. By using this technology, we could create the bioscope digitally and together with help from i.materialise, repair any errors in the file and find the best material and printing technique to bring the bioscope to life in polyamide. Quick and affordable. Plus, when I am not completely satisfied with how the bioscope feels – not a problem. I change the digital file, contact i.materialise, and hey presto … a new and improved Bioscope!”
The Bioscope will be on display at the 3D Printshow in London this weekend on the imaterialise stand (19th – 21st of October).
To see exactly how it works and what it can do, check out the video:
Source: V2 and i.materialise
