Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Hat tip to hustler of culture for this news from Harajuku. Leave it to the Japanese to make 3D printing so tidy and kawaii. These portraits are much less creepy than the fetal ultrasound version. Or are they… The 3D portraits are the creation of Omote 3D, as reported by Spoon & Tamago. Lucky, well-prepared visitors to the luxury shopping mecca, GYRE will be able to purchase 3D portraits in 3 different sizes, perfect for elaborate train sets, wedding cake toppers, or just general self-representation. Go shopping on Cat Street for a nice new outfit, get your 3D portrait taken, and end up with a pocket-sized you that you can do all kinds of weird things with for Instagram photos. Reservations are booked solid at their pop-up shop, according to their website, but there may be future opportunities for a portrait session for a figure. In the meantime, you can always try to commission a figure from Dehara Yukinori, or you can try to make your own portrait at home on your very own 3D printer. Or do it Giant Robot style and have a Sculpey Kids kind of day. Creating things is good no matter how it’s done.
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I’ve always suspected that the reason why the iPhone gets outsold in Asia is its inability to allow the user to decorate it with cell phone charms. I’m pretty sure I’m right. Cell phone charms are BIG business. A Tokyo 3D printing company has joined the decades long trend for a niche market – pregnant ladies. Their primary product is a personalized 3D printed model of your baby in utero. You can go old school and get a 2D grainy, black and white scan of your spawn and try to guess which body part is which. You can even upgrade to a 4D ulstrasound and get clearer images and video of your lumpy baby, OR for $1,200 you can go all the way and get this resin model based on your 4D ultrasound, that is shaped like your pregnant gut. It’s great for carrying in your purse to show off to friends and family, and also doubles as a paperweight! And don’t forget about your cell phone – the company throws in a free miniature cell phone charm version so you can show everyone what your not-yet-born baby looks like without having to carry your resin model around with you all the time. The company is diversifying their product line. In addition to the resin models, and the bonus cell charms, they will also be offering 3D models of just the mushy face of your baby. Baby faces sort of fall into all-rook-same status at this point in fetal development, but I imagine there’s a growing market for this, and not just in tech-wacky Japan.
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