Covering the 3D printing industry at 3DPI, I’ve learned that one should never underestimate a new player in the 3D printing game. So, while there may already exist a number of businesses focused on 3D printing assets from video games, a new startup from Newcastle, England called Whispering Gibbon could have what it takes to overtake the competition. Particularly since they’ve received a six-figure investment through a funding round led by Northstar Ventures.
What sets Whispering Gibbon apart from companies like FabZat and Toyze, which work with game companies to create 3D printable versions of video game assets, is their RenderFab technology. 3D models in games are not designed for 3D printing, which is where RenderFab comes in. Whispering Gibbon describes their technology by saying, “RenderFab is a technology for converting objects optimised for visual display to models optimised for 3D printing – it is the only fully automated system to guarantee the structural and visual integrity of any model whilst minimising cost and material usage.”
GrabIt is another platform from the startup, which allows users to 3D print in-game models based on mid-scene captures. There are companies out there with similar technology, like MXD3D‘s GamePrint platform, but Whispering Gibbon has just taken on a six-figure investment, which should fuel the company a great deal as they begin implementing RenderFab with industry partners, including gaming and virtual reality companies. CEO Joe Stevens tells Forbes, “We’re pre-revenue and we’re aware of the need to prove our business model. What we really want to do is to find the right first clients to make this work.”
Once their technology is commercialized, it could really begin to unite the digital and physical worlds. It’s not difficult to imagine the transferring of digital data from games, movies, VR, and AR to the physical world with 3D printing. With the addition of 3D scanning, that data can move both ways, from the physical to digital world, as well. Despite the six-figure investment, however, they’re not the only ones in the game and the other firms working in the space can always find ways to compete with the UK’s Whispering Gibbon. Either way, we’re sure to see gaming and 3D printing cross paths more and more in the near future.
