Could this be the first 3D printed toy to be a mainstream hit? Looking at the pictures, it’s almost hard to believe that the SpotiBear was 3D printed. Created by Andreas Lindahl, the SpotiBear hooks up to Spotify and, from there, parents and kids can listen to all of the audio files (songs & stories) that the famous music streaming app has to offer.
Though the finished product looks pretty simple, the process was anything but easy. Lindahl designed SpotiBear, but co-worker Pär Johansson took up all of the hardware and software challenges. They used Strata 3D to create an initial design, and performed some iterations, figuring out how to position the hardware. The two relied on threaded inserts for the toy’s joints and other parts to create a working prototype of SpotiBear. Johansson constructed SpotiBear’s internal hardware using a Raspberry Pi B+ and spopd to run Spotify. He then made the buttons functional with a python script.
Each arm was 3D printed on a MakerBot Replicator 2. The polished end look was brought about with heavy sanding, spray paint, and a few layers of primer. And, after all of that work, the duo ran into a speed bump: the hole for the speaker wasn’t quite right. As a result, they had to reshape the whole so that it would fit. And, with that, they were back on track.
Once the hardware was all fitting in the right places, (including a micro USB for charging), they made some stencils and spray painted the lettering right onto the glued-on controller buttons, downloaded the Spotify app, and let the bear groove away.
It’s easy to see how the technology powering Spotibear could be used on almost any object. As we enter Internet-of-Things territory, we will see more and more of the internet and digital reality being incorporated into everyday objects. With such technology, anything you see is basically transformed into Spotify or an iPod. And, with geolocation technology, you could even network a whole bunch of devices around a house or office space, and have your playlist just follow you around. Why not?
What struck me as particularly interesting about this project, is that it really looks like a mainstream toy made by conventional manufacturing methods. Yes, it’s highly finished, but the ability of just two people to come up with a platform that could become insanely popular and become a part of many other toys or objects, is a demonstration of why 3D printing continues to be a favorite for startups. It might take a little time before 3D printing is in a position to give manufacturing methods like injection molding a run for their money, but with faster printers concretely on the horizon, it may happen faster than we think.
