Versoteq is a Finnish company that we have covered from time to time over the past few months as they are focused on making 3D printing accessible to as many people as possible. Their first projects have been based on using the possibilities offered by 3D printing to cater to the needs of people with impaired vision making the worlds of arts and sports more accessible to them through physical 3D copies and physical maps of the surroundings.
Capitalizing on this experience Versoteq is now trying to address the wider public through the promise of personalized manufacturing. After launching a customizable coin service, they are going to use a similar parametric online personalization toolset to create PicShade, a line of lampshades that can be customized with any photo, drawing or text.
The Kickstarter campaign which is set to go live today (August 1st) and run until September 5th is seeking to collect £3000 from supporters to launch the online and 3D printing ecosystem that will allow Versoteq to deliver either 3D printable models or 3D printed lampshades (both in FDM or SLS) to anyone around the world.
The company’s software is the key to making this service truly accessible. Creating a 3D model should only take a few minutes, by choosing the text or uploading the desired image. This will be applied to two possible shade designs, one cylindrical and one conical, with a height of about 15 cm (roughly 5.5 inches).
Customers can choose to buy just the digital model – already optimized for 3D printing – and make it at home, or buy the FDM version in PLA, which will be delivered in a matter of days (it is printed directly by Versoteq on a Leapfrog 3D printer). The high res SLS version in nylon would take a couple of weeks as it is produced through a third party partner.
If the campaign is successful, deliveries of 3D printable DIY PicShades in PLY file format will begin as early as September for pledges starting at £5. Pre-printed FDM shades start at £40, while the early bird High Quality PicShade will start at £140 with deliveries beginning next December. At that time of the year light in general will become a very welcome commodity around Scandinavia.
