Tangible Solutions has been building a solid reputation as a full-service 3D design and rapid prototyping business in the Ohio area. Now, they’re trying something new and launching a Kickstarter for an app called Pango, which can help you take your 2D images and convert them into 3D models for viewing via augmented reality. Sort of.
Pango seeks to make turning 2D ideas into 3D reality easier for the average consumer. How it works is you draw your idea in the Inventor’s Notebook included with your Kickstarter pledge. There’s no need to be an expert draftsman; you just do the best that you can, write up a short instructional description of your design, and use the Pango app to take pictures of it. The app then sends the information to Tangible Solutions where they turn it into a 3D model that can be viewed using augmented reality. The app allows you to view your 3D design in real time on top of your 2D design in the notebook and, by moving the 2D drawing or physically moving your mobile device around the object, you will see it from every possible angle.
Once you have your 3D model, you can review it, request any changes through the app, and then Tangible Solutions will 3D print it for you in a variety of colors using their in-house Stratasys uPrint 3D printers. It’s essentially a way for anyone to access rapid prototyping services through the app, rather than requiring potential customers to hunt down a local 3D printing company.
Here is their Kickstarter video explaining the process:
So, I love the idea. It’s a fantastic way to make the design process easier for consumers who do not have any experience or familiarity with 3D printing or 3D design. But I’m not sure about the rather lofty Kickstarter goal of $100,000. Granted, the service isn’t cheap, the lowest amount that you can pledge and receive access to the app is $99, which sounds about right for the work being done. But a hurdle of $100k for an app that you can’t do much with unless you pay almost a hundred dollars seems like it’s asking backers for a lot. Especially considering that there isn’t a lot of explanation for the goal amount beyond a vague comment in the Kickstarter video that they need it to develop the app, the website and the backend software.
I’m not going to pretend that I have any idea how much it costs to develop an app and workflow of this nature, but I do know that Kickstarter campaigns this high are always a tough sell. The campaign is scheduled to last for 60 days, so they have plenty of time to really sell the Kickstarter community on the process, but frankly they’re going to need to start now and what they have on the campaign doesn’t really get the job done for me.
There are obvious uses for technology like this, especially in education where students could really learn a lot about the design process. I could easily see a school buying Pango “bundles” for students, which they do offer as a pledge type. But I don’t know many schools willing to commit to a product that hasn’t been built yet.
Still, I think it’s a solid idea that has a lot of mileage in it and I’m curious how the Kickstarter campaign will develop. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on this one.
