Scandy is a new 3D print service that provides 3D scan processing and printing options, but also they offer a very unique spherical style print.
The web-based service provides a way to clean up 3D scans to prepare them for 3D print production. If you’ve ever used a 3D scanner, you know this is an essential step, as 3D scans are notoriously incomplete. There may be gaps, unexpected protrusions, missing textures, or entirely missing sides. Scandy will accept incoming scans and their “well trained robots clean up the model for you”.
But that’s not particularly unique. What’s more interesting is the “Scandy Sphere”. It’s a simple spherical 3D print, but the exterior surface is printed with a 360 degree image. Imagine a sphere with the top, bottom and interior removed. The uploaded panoramic image is imprinted on the exterior and interior surfaces as shown above.
Panoramic images are more frequently captured these days as it’s now easy to create them with your smartphone. However, the results are typically displayed on 2D screens where you can merely scroll to and fro within the image.
Now with Scandy’s service, you can upload such an image and convert it into a 3D printed sphere with all 360 degrees present. The 360 degree image can then be held in your hand!
It’s a unique way to leverage 3D printing and a panoramic image, and a very simple way for literally anyone who can capture a panoramic image to make use of 3D printing.
That said, the site seems a little difficult to use. We uploaded a test file and were not able to figure out how to create the sphere from the image, in spite of several previous spheres being visible in their “Explore” section. Perhaps we’re a bit dumb, but even if it doesn’t work, it’s still a very good idea that could easily be replicated by other 3D print services offering color texture 3D printing.
Via Scandy
