The early 90’s rave music phenomenon orientated around all night dances to hard dance music and included the now legendary ‘glow stick’ and other glow-in-the-dark paraphernalia. The modern ‘high-tech’ equivalent to the glow stick could be Fusion by Shockatoo, a music-centric computer for the wrist, combining a built-in accelerometer, microphone, microprocessor and Bluetooth 4.0 that allows the device to operate independently, intelligently and integrate the audio of music.
The smartband creates animated light displays by sensing both the beat of the music and the user’s motion. When paired with a smart-phone using Bluetooth, users can select and download hundreds of interactive light patterns, play music tracks to fit their mood or create their own, and connect with friends by letting users sync to each other.
Shockatoo, Inc. is an innovative producer of wearable technology targeted at the consumer market. The company wanted to develop a flexible, translucent plastic prototype for their crowdfunding project that would house the wearable electronic device and needed it to be fully functional for a video shoot in Las Vegas to promote the product launch.
The product development team needed to find a cost-effective iteration process that would allow for multiple design changes and material customisation with a quick-turnaround. The Shockatoo team used FATHOM’s 3D printing expertise and creative technical pros to meet a tight design schedule and unique product specs.
FATHOM manufactured 3D printed parts for two design cycles in less than two weeks. The first cycle helped dial in the product design and also determine which custom blended materials created the required feel and translucency. Finished parts were achieved in the second cycle and were expedited to Las Vegas for Shockatoo’s promotional video. The final prototype captured the flex, finish and light transmission that Shockatoo had envisioned for their new product line.
To achieve smooth surfaces, thin walls and complex geometries the team used Stratasys’ Objet Connex 3D printers driven by PolyJet Technology that features 16-micron layers with accuracy as high as 0.1 mm — still the only technology that supports printing of multi-materials with properties that range from rubber to rigid and transparent to opaque. Although this might not be the case for much longer.
“Our team was pleased to have been able to make design adjustments so quickly,” said Paul LaPorte, Founder and CEO of Shockatoo. “The team was able to test out various material combinations to get the desired result and we hit a home run.”
