When former MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis recently founded the “Innovation Workshop” Bold Machines, he literally went on to bigger and better things: the 3D printing of a life-sized Quin Doll that’s 5.5 feet tall. This was a huge printing feat, even over the first customizable 3DKitbash Quin Doll printed in 2013 that stood 11 inches tall.
It was quite an accomplishment to 3D print the original Quin Doll, with all of its modified parts. Imagine what went into printing a model that’s over five feet tall! The project took 12 MakerBot Z18s – with a build volume of 11.8 L x 12.0 W x 18.0 H inches (30.0 L x 20.5 W x 45.7 H cm) – plus several MakerBot Replicator 2Xes more than 150 hours to print this PLA Quin Doll.
3DKitbash innovators Quincy Robinson and Natalie Mathis design toys, such as the Quin Doll, that can be easily printed on a desk-top printer without having to use support structures or glue. The pleasing blue-colored Quin is a venturesome inventor from the planet Filamento, who dreams of teaming with Earth-bound Makers to make the universe a better place for all inhabitants. According to Mathis, her company aims to produce 3D printable models that can be made at home or school, are entertaining and engaging, and encourage kids to develop their own designs. Printing this life-sized Quin Doll once again shows 3D enthusiasts all that can be done in 3D.
As Pettis says on his personal blog, “It is the best time in the history of humanity to be a creative individual. The hardware and software tools are accessible, electronics are modular, and there are amazing resources available to those who are willing to explore the frontier of what happens next.” The purpose of the Bold Machines initiative is to help businesses like 3DKitbash leverage the advantages of 3D printing to output new, innovative ideas. What bigger and better way to do this than by printing an actual human-sized figure?
