The UpLocket is a 3D printed picture locket recently launched on Kickstarter that contains an NFC – Near Field Communication – chip that allows you to automatically upload a picture of your choice from your locket onto another person’s smartphone simply by touching them together.
3D printed jewellery is hardly new, or even noteworthy these days as it has become one of the fastest growing sectors of 3D printed consumer goods. But the high-tech twist that UpLocket brings to it is certainly an interesting one that they hope they can get off the ground using crowdfunding.
The concept itself is pretty simple, the locket has room for a picture, just as any locket would, but it also has an NFC chip integrated into the design that can be loaded with a photograph of your choice. This means that you can keep the picture in the locket close to you, and freely share it with those around you without them requiring them to strain to see the small image. Or if you don’t feel that you need it, you can simply select the pendant design that has no space for a physical picture only the file stored on the NFC chip.
Here is their Kickstarter video explaining how the UpLocket works:
The lockets and pendants were designed in AutoCAD and MeshMixer by Todd Blatt, who has previously successfully funded a jewelry Kickstarter for his GlassKap line of accessories for Google Glass. Like his GlassKap products, the UpLockets will be 3D printed with selective laser sintering in nylon via Shapeways. There are four styles available as well as a set of matching earrings, and after the Kickstarter is funded you simply need to select the colour that you want and send them the image that you would like stored in your locket.
The Kickstarter is offering the lockets for $30.00 each ($25 for early bird backers), and that may seem a little pricy for only an image being embedded on it. But I think the UpLocket is meant to be more of a sentimental keepsake than a storage device. This is something that you give to your mother with a picture of her grandchildren on it, or to a pet owner with a picture of their dog. And it certainly beats giving friends your phone to see a picture and having them accidently scroll through the gallery and see something embarrassing. There may be a logical explanation for that picture of your cat dressed up in doll clothes, but are you really in the mood to explain that to the cashier at Target?
Currently NFC only works on selected Android phones, however with the recent release of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6+ that may be changing. NFC technology is used with the new Apple Pay technology, and while it is currently closed to other apps that is not likely to last long. Blatt and his co-Kickstarter Ben Howarth have said that once that happens the UpLocket will work with the iPhone 6 and beyond.
You can check out all of the pendant and locket designs on the UpLocket Kickstarter and you can take a look at Blatt’s other jewellery and Google Glass accessories on his website Custom3Dstuff.com or in his Shapeways store.
