“I had slightly felt muscle stiffness of my fingers because of aging,” Ishibashi told Shapeways. “By chance, I had seen a TV program featuring self-help input devices for arthritis. Then I thought that I could make a cool device for the elderly by using the 3D printer.”

And make a cool device he certainly did.

Tapping into his 3D design knowledge, as well as utilizing Shapeways’ services, Ishibashi began prototyping and developing assistive devices to help those with muscle weakness, whether because of issues like arthritis or advanced age. After his trial period was complete and multiple devices had been constructed in a span of about three years, Ishibashi’s creative and colorful designs became a standout in today’s 3D market. His products, which can be found at Mizulabo, are not only simple and functional, but also lightweight, low cost, and easy to handle.

Iterations of Tatsuo Ishibashi’s assistive tool

“I make so many prototypes by my desktop 3D printer because I need them in order to get what satisfies both design and functional requirements,” he said. “3D printers are quite good tools for us because we can evaluate immediately whether our designs are functionary or not. I print out the final version of my products through Shapeways.”

From molecular engineering to 3D design

Although Ishibashi is well-versed in 3D design now, his original career path led him to molecular engineering. “I specialized in molecular engineering in graduate school. I learned programming and engineering there. And I experienced research and product development including design in a manufacturing company.” With that experience under his tool belt, he was able to take that knowledge and apply it to the complex world of 3D design.

Like any designer, however, Ishibashi has faced his fair share of obstacles. Because he’s self-taught, he struggled to find a test process that could measure both functionality and mechanical strength. Ishibashi then discovered the Fusion360 software and UPPlus2 printer which allowed him to measure both qualities, each vital to the design’s success. Once he had constructed solid models of his idea, he turned to his mentors for inspiration. “I learned from lecturers of specialized seminars and from visitors of exhibitions to which I submitted,” Ishibashi told Shapeways.

The “Touch assist holder” is a device for operating smartphone or tablet screens.

The future of assistive tools

Soon enough, Ishibashi was on his way to releasing his designs to the public, assisting the elderly and those with muscle weakness in a completely new way. His assistive tools were incredibly well received and in the future, he hopes to “upgrade the cutlery holder and change the design of the writing assist holder. I hope that a category of the self-help devices will grow steadily. Now I plan to conduct a verification test in some care homes in Japan.”

He adds, “Some of the visitors in the exhibition held in July [2018] had keen interests in my products, and had an idea of conducting a demonstration test in their facilities. I plan to offer the tests [in the near future]. My future image is that many 3D designers will participate in the assistive device field and communicate at the same platform with users.”

The post Tatsuo Ishibashi’s Vibrant Designs are Game-Changing Assistive Tools for People with Muscle Weakness appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Not only do they look great, they can be easily DIY’d — whether you’re making them from scratch or replacing the legs on existing furniture. Mike Montgomery from Modern Builds is an expert at it, and now, he’s figured out a way to make hairpin legs even better using 3D printing. See how he created a beautiful coffee table, then added a Shapeways-printed accessory to protect floors from those pretty, pointy hairpin legs.

So now the choice is yours: get Modern Builds hairpin leg floor protectors here, or…

DESIGN YOUR OWN

The post Try This Easy 3D Printed Hack for Your Modernist Decor appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Vancouver artist Emily Mitchell has a story to tell. But it’s not one she tells with words. In her Shapeways shop Osprey Design, she uses delicately designed jewelry pieces to draw out the secret histories of everything from insects to Ancient Roman keys to video game objects. We recently learned more about Emily’s influences, and what she hopes to inspire in those who wear her jewelry.

Dragonfly Pendant

What inspires your designs?

I want my designs to tell stories, and I find a lot of inspiration in the world around me. That includes both things found in nature and artifacts from human history. When people see an intriguing or beautiful object, they ask themselves what its story is; who made it? When? Where does it come from? And, I think most importantly; what did it mean to the people who once owned it? Similarly, when we look at nature, we see beauty and patterns in the structures of plants and animals. We feel inspired by the industriousness of ants, the toughness of armadillos, and we like to carry those symbols with us to remind us of how we want to go about our own lives. So when someone wears one of my designs, I hope that they feel connected to its story, and it gives them opportunities to share that story with others.

Octopus Pendant

How did you come to offer your work on Shapeways?

After learning to create sculptures digitally, I thought it would be fun to try to 3D print some of my creations. Shapeways offered such a variety of materials that it opened up a lot of possibilities for things I could make. I was especially impressed with the ability to 3D print in metals, allowing me to create delicate and interesting pieces of jewelry without the need for a metalworking studio.

Roman Tablet Pendant

What was your process when it came to learning 3D design?

I learned digital modeling and sculpting through courses and videos online. My interest at the beginning (and still now!) was learning to create art for video games, so I found CGCookie was a great resource for learning my way around the necessary software. For 3D printing I work entirely in Blender, a free and open-source program which has a great community always ready to offer assistance and insight.

When it comes to other artists’ work, what do you find most inspiring?

I’ve always found traditional figurative sculpture to be really inspiring. I love being able to look at a sculpture and really feel the emotion of the individual or character it’s depicting.

Swing Pendant

The post Designer Spotlight: Emily Mitchell’s Natural Histories appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

How long have you been working with models?

About five years. I couldn’t find modern miniature furniture in 1:12 scale on the market, so then I started producing them for my own needs. The logical next step was to offer the designs I worked on in a Shapeways shop to other modern mini enthusiasts as well. That is how my Modern Dollhouse shop came about.

How did you learn to make 3D models?

Ha, that is something I still haven’t tried yet! I’ve taken classes, but I decided find help for this part. My strengths and interests lie in building these doll houses manually. So I find full-size files from sites like TurboSquid, Design Connected, and others. I then have them reduced to 1:12 scale by a designer I was connected with here on Shapeways — Vijay Paul of Dotsan. I do have a local friend that I work with sometimes, but Vijay always gets it done right and we’ve developed a great rapport over the years, so we’re usually on the same page, and his pricing works perfectly for me. Even if we’re not, we always get it sorted after a couple of emails. However, I do look forward to the day that we can talk in person.

The extraordinary Antler Chandelier by Modern Dollhouse

Which project are you the most proud of and why?

Probably the antler chandelier. There was a lot of detail in that piece, and it took quite a few talks with my designer to get this just right. But I’m really happy with how that one turned out. Another tricky one was getting the the corner pieces for the shipping containers to fit together just right. [Check out Marion’s Instagram slideshow of the incredible completed shipping container home, above. -Ed.]

Your models are incredibly lifelike. They look like they’ve been ripped out of an interior designer’s portfolio. Do you have experience in the professional architecture/interior design space?

Architecture and interior design are things that have always interested me. I’ve never done anything professionally, but I have renovated a few houses and apartments in my time. Through those experiences I developed my own style, which is pretty lean and uncluttered. But I have to admit… even I had a Laura Ashley phase at one point in my life!

All the fixtures in this bathroom can be found in Marion’s Modern Dollhouse shop

Do you feel you’ve kind of become an interior designer by proxy?

If you ask my friends they’ll tell you that they rely on my advice and the designs I do in my spare time. When working on a new design, I use Live Interior 3D Pro for both full-size and miniature houses.

Where do you find your inspiration for your models?

Together with some friends, I do architectural trips all over Europe, and they’re totally inspiring! I still have plans for some Bauhaus and Corbusier models. Honestly, the list never gets smaller. Eventually I will have a storage issue, though…

A selection of chairs, lighting, bathroom, and storage pieces by Modern Dollhouse

Take us through your process. How do you decide what to make?

Let’s say I want a specific chair for a setting: I track down a 3D file somewhere, send it to the designer, and give him the size specs. He then reduces to spec and from there, we see whether they’re fit for printing in the Shapeways material I want. Then I order a prototype to make sure that the scale is perfect. If not, we adjust and reprint until it’s just right. I then polish and paint it, take photos and then offer it for sale to others in my shop.

And after all the time you spend to get your product just right, how does it feel to finally hold that finished piece in your hand?

I am always totally excited when the parcel arrives from the Netherlands! Is the size right? Do I have to do a lot of polishing? Did nothing break?

1:12 Scale Director’s Chairs and Sidetable

How has 3D printing changed how you operate?

3D printing gives me the possibility of designing an interior exactly how I visualize it. In those rare cases that I can’t find a design, then I have to find alternatives. However, I’ve found that most companies are really helpful. For instance, I wanted a washing basket and contacted Rotho, a company that produces them in full size. In a flash, they sent me a file for a model they’re not producing any longer — just like that!

How has Shapeways helped you do business?

Running my shop has always been easy and uncomplicated. The first time Shapeways did a little feature on me really made an impact. However, most of my customers see my work via my other social media sites or my blog. Most mini builders work in Victorian or similar styles, so I like offering the things I like to use personally.

Bathroom fixtures by Modern Dollhouse

What would you say is the best thing about Shapeways community?

Exchanging ideas, suggest improvements, even voicing disappointment! I personally would love to see Shapeways somehow help us deal with shipping logistics to Australia: trying to get a couple of my files printed and sent there was prohibitively expensive.

What do you strive to bring to the scale modeling space? When do you feel you’re accomplishing that goal?

The most important thing is true scale. My quality standards are pretty high — if it is not good enough for me, I would never offer it to others. My aim is that my models look like the real thing and you only notice that it is a model house when you really analyze tiny details.

1:12 Lampshade hanging 3cm diameter by Modern Dollhouse

Finally, what does the future hold for you? What plans do you have moving forward for your model-making?

More house models! Different contemporary styles requiring different kind of interiors.

You can find Marion’s storefront here, and don’t forget to check out her website for her adventures around Europe. She’s also got a Pinterest, an Instagram, and a Facebook, all centered around making and showcasing amazing 1:12 miniatures.

All Photos courtesy of Marion Russek.

The post Is This the Next Tiny House Movement? appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Edu’s concept for the Guardian Jacket came about in response to the significant amount of time modern humans spend on their daily commute. Opting to commute on a motorcycle comes with certain advantages: It’s more economical, often faster, and easier to park — with the added bonus of feeling the wind in your hair. However, wise riders know that motorcycles also necessitate safety gear, which tends to be bulky, super sporty, and an uncomfortable fit.

2D Render of the Guardian Jacket

Edu set out to design a safety jacket for the non-professional motorcyclist, and explore the full potential of additive manufacturing by designing and printing every single jacket component, from mesh fabric to closures to hardware. By using the customizable nature of 3D printing to actualize his jacket concept, Edu realized he could offer the wearer a better experience with improved performance, fit, and sustainability.

“The choice of using 3D printing in my design process is also suitable for the production of bespoke goods en masse, sustainably, due to the limited waste generated during manufacturing, and the potential to reduce any carbon footprint related to logistics.”

Aesthetically, the Guardian Jacket is inspired by a combination of bomber jackets and medieval armor:

“It lives between different ages, and our new technology allowed me to achieve this duality by clashing the futuristic with the archaic.”

Functionally, Edu designed the Guardian Jacket to protect the upper body against impact, focusing on spinal cord injury protection.

“The areas with impact reduction will consist of structured parts capable of absorbing applied forces, while keeping the architecture as slim as possible, optimizing the relation between both these qualities.”

“The spinal cord injury protection would consist of a dynamic structure that works as an exoskeleton along the spine on a vertical axis… The shapes that resemble vertebrae would lock into each other, allowing natural movement but restraining wide angle variations.”

Even with all of the Guardian Jacket’s safety functionalities, which would ordinarily add mass to the garment’s silhouette, Edu was able to reach his goal of creating breathable motorcycle gear through the use of 3D printed chainmail — an achievement he chalks up to the power of 3D printing:

“The whole of my project could not have been brought to life without 3D printing – my choice of chainmail-like fabric went almost completely obsolete due to its labor-intensive nature. Now thanks to 3D printing, it’s trending again – machines don’t mind the work. In fact, they go the extra mile, aiding us humans to bring to life our wildest imaginations!”

Equally helpful, Edu was able to print perfectly pre-assembled mechanical parts in our lightweight yet durable Metallic Plastic, sparing himself the time and labor of assembly.

A mechanical spring component from the Guardian Jacket, 3D printed in our interlocking Metallic Plastic

We can hardly wait to see the final construction of Edu’s made-to-measure safety jacket, and we are beyond impressed with the en vogue execution of his noble mission.

Do you have an innovative idea that could transform your industry? Let us help bring your ideas to life with 3D printing manufacturing.

The post Shapeways Education Grant Stories: Edu Fiorin’s Bespoke Guardian Jacket appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

One big difference between us is our sources of inspiration, which affect not only what we make, but how we make it. Here’s where we draw inspiration, and we hope to inspire you to find ways to catalogue and organize ideas for your own projects.

Some of Sarah’s “fashionable” Pinterest boards!

Sarah Finds Inspiration IRL

I try to get out and see as much as I can. While I rely on Pinterest, Google Drive, and other digital forums to build my library, you still can’t beat seeing things in their natural habitat, up close under a microscope, or staged in a beautifully lit room in the presence of others. Go to your local museums. See the new exhibits. Visit your local parks, go window shopping, and check out that lecture at your local library.

When it comes to 3D modeling and printing, design and function are more important than you might expect. Whatever you make will eventually leave digital space and enter our world, where it must weather the laws of physics. Seeing things in person, touching them, and really getting to know them will not only provide you with new inspiration but also show how you can go about making.

A piece of TheLaserGirls’ library

Another great resource is the art book, which Dhemerae really got me into. As a New Yorker living in a tiny apartment, I have to edit my belongings. So, while my collection of books may be small, they collect work and subjects that make up the foundation of my inspirations, the motifs I love to use, and the pieces or images that I cherish most.  

A snippet of Dhemerae’s ROBOTS! Pinterest board

Dhemerae Watches Propmakers and Process

Much of my inspiration comes from processes and watching how people make things. I find it exciting to see how others solve a specific construction problem, and the scaffolding around those decisions. This directly explains my love of DIY videos. Shows like Robot Wars and MythBusters inspired me to tinker from a young age. They provided engaging documentation of process on both macro and micro levels. From prop makers’ work logs to digital speed-sculpting, I can always learn something new and get inspired by others.

I also look to toy and figure designers as a source. Creating beautiful toys and figures is an under-recognized art, and they are imaginative, whimsical, sculptural, and mechanical. These pieces heavily inspire my 3D work.

Resources

We all have our own means of unlocking what inspires us, so don’t be hard on yourself! Your inspiration is yours and what you do with it is yours, so don’t get too bogged down in every who, what, when, where, and how. Just make, trust your tangents, and let you surprise you!

Below is a list of our favorite online resources to utilize. We encourage you to check them out:

• Instagram
• Tumblr
• Pinterest
• the RPF (Replica Prop Forum)
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection
• Make Magazine
• Tested with Adam Savage
• AWE Me
• TheLaserGirlsStudio (wink, wink)

We consistently catalog all our resources, images, text documents, notes, and drawings across both our computers and sketchbooks. For specific projects, we like to create a single document or “mood board” to see everything we have pulled together in one place. This helps focus our ideas and further understand the threads connecting the story.

We cannot stress enough the importance of a sketchbook (physical or digital). You don’t have to be an artist or “good” at drawing to sketch! Expressing your thoughts on paper or on screen can help you understand them and process them in a different way.

Find communities that have similar interests, and contribute to those, whether online or in person. Forums, blogs, and Meetups are also great places to learn, sometimes from people who work in the very industry your project involves. Learn from the experiences and mistakes of others instead of repeating them on your own. Whether it’s cosplay or miniatures or replicas, find a positive community of like-minded people, ask questions, and show your work to them. Don’t be passive, for your contributions can play a role in inspiring others.

We find that our projects have been guided immensely by speaking to other people who have similar experience with the process. Without the incredible makers of the Replica Prop Forum who share their work and beautifully document it, Dhemerae would not have reached her desired accuracy for her Ellen Ripley flamethrower.

We hopes this helps, and let us know about your inspiration go-tos in the comments!

The post People, Process, Pinterest — and Other Places to Find Design Inspiration appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

If you’re making cookies or even a plate of spaghetti with meatballs, you’re already using additive manufacturing. You boil the pasta, put it on a plate and the place meatballs and sauce on the top. Making a hamburger? Combine the meat (or veggies), onions, cheese and whatever else goes into your beloved custom-made patty, and you’ve “additively manufactured” a burger. Then throw it on the grill and let it cook.

What the Foodini and other so-called 3D food printers actually do is squeeze chocolate, sugar or whatever other cookable medium they’re using out of an extruder, just layering it up to “make” a design or plate. It’s the exact thing you’d do with your two hands.

We think 3D printing is inherently interesting, too, but your great-grandma mastered 3D printing food every time she made a layer cake. Let’s put that excitement where actual innovation is happening: bioprinting, large-scale additive manufacturing, 3D printed metals…. Really anything else that’s happening in the world of 3D printing. I’ll be in the kitchen, additively manufacturing some pizza.

Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Shapeways.

The post 3D Printed Food Is a Lie appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

As you may have noticed via all our social posts, the team and I spent last weekend in Schaumburg, Illinois for AdeptiCon, one of the leading wargaming conventions in North America. It was my first time going, so I didn’t know quite what to expect, but the weekend turned out to be chock-full of adventures and friends.

Our trip kicked off with an evening Games Workshop studio preview where we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at what the team has planned for the upcoming year. We’re not big on #spoilers but they announced the rollout of a new game called Shadespire and discussed ways in which they were going to become more community-focused, even adding tools created by fans to their site. All of the updates were received with hearty cheers, so they’re all things fans seem to be particularly excited about.

The next day the convention opened, where Andrew, community member Matt from Pop Goes the Monkey, and I manned the Shapeways booth. It was exciting to see all of the prep we’d done for the convention ready and in use. The terrain displays looked incredible (more on that in a future post!) and it was great being able to speak with everyone from existing Shapeways customers to people who hadn’t yet heard about us. Giving people the opportunity to see the bits Matt had designed in real life was exciting because it’s the ultimate “ah-ha” moment that you don’t necessary have when looking at something online. Seeing people astounded at the quality of the prints was definitely one of my favorite parts of the convention.

As for the second part of our crafting day, my cosplay also fit right in —  I even found some cosplay twins at the Eagle Ordinary booth! It’s always inspiring to see the ways in which other people create their cosplay. It was a good reminder that there’s always so much room for improvement!

#AdeptiCon was #Cosplay

A post shared by Lise Keeney (@ladybuglise) on Mar 26, 2017 at 4:40pm PDT

We also had a great time interviewing some of the cosplayers around the convention  including Christine Yoo Millar who was dressed as a Sister of Battle to match her army. Her armor was comprised of foam and 3D printed PLA embellishments — from symbols like the Fleur-de-Lis to her intricate high heels! While Christine has made 34 costumes, she’d never won a contest (which is BANANAS) so we were beyond thrilled to witness her winning Best In Show at Adepticon 2017’s cosplay contest.

Also of note were the orc rock band called Da Gof Rockerz who were kind enough to enquire if I “wanted to be killed” when I requested a photo with them. Apparently they actually play gigs, so keeping my fingers crossed that I’m able to catch one of their shows soon.

Your girl’s at #AdeptiCon, in #cosplay, hanging with orcs.

A post shared by Lise Keeney (@ladybuglise) on Mar 25, 2017 at 2:40pm PDT

Throughout the convention, Andrew and Matt also had the opportunity to sit down for some podcast recordings with the BeerThralls team, Forge the Narrative, and Combat Phase. We also had a chance to hang out with some other great folks like Uncle Atom of Tabletop Minions, Teri from ThatTeriGirl and Mark Z of Dice Tower.

For more in-depth coverage of AdeptiCon, we’d suggest reading the recaps written by our new friends over at SpikeyBits!

Have I mentioned how excited I am for next year?

The post #Winning at AdeptiCon appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Shapeways designer Sonia Verdu hails from Madrid, Spain – and she embodies the creativity of the city she calls home. “I was born in a very creative and not too conventional-minded family,” Sonia told us, adding, “I think this helped me follow heart rather than my head.” Her Shapeways shop captures that spirit, with designs that run the gamut from an intricate star-shaped locket to a series of adorable phone stands to fully articulated doll and robot figurines. We talked with Sonia about how she got started, and what inspires her.

How did you learn to design in 3D?
I’ve always liked sculpting and painting, and although I did not see many career opportunities in the world of art, I decided to get a Bachelor of Arts at university and study Artistic Ceramics in an art school. I learned digital modeling in 3D mainly on my own. At university I learned only traditional techniques of painting and sculpting, as I considered it very important to have that base. Later, I worked as a designer, and since I was really interested in digital modeling, I started to watch tutorials on the internet and fell in love with Blender, a professional-grade, open source software. I’m still learning to model with this program and I think I still have a lot to learn. 

What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways? Who in the Shapeways community has served as an inspiration to you?
A friend, Gianluca Owen, an expert in 3D printing, suggested it. I listened to him and started to share my designs here. I think this is a fantastic website where you can find a huge number of interesting designs, and it’s a great source of inspiration – besides having the possibility to test different materials to print my designs.

In terms of who has served as an inspiration, well, this question is very difficult to answer because there are many designs that inspire me. Some of the designers are Brian Chan, Nervous System, and Rustylab.

Your smartphone holders are adorable. How did you come to that idea?
My idea was to create several mobile holders in the shape of animals, that were cute and childish and at the same time very simple.

What inspired the two tiny robots in your shop?
The idea of designing these robots came up after designing toys for my children. I wanted to create cute robots and, like the above mobile holders, with a childish appearance and rounded corners.

Lantea the Jointed Doll is incredibly well-designed. Was it a challenge having to keep assembly in mind when designing for that model?
Yes, Lantea was a great challenge for me and, although it took me a long time for the complexity of the assembly, it was a lot of fun. Besides, in every new design of a jointed doll I learn new things, and that encourages me to do more and more.

If you weren’t limited by current technologies, what would you want to make using 3D printing?
Since I left university, I’ve had in mind the idea of making sculptures and combining them with water, and I believe 3D printing could be a great tool for this project. I would like to make it come true someday.

We hope Sonia does realize her dream of multimedia 3D printed sculptures. We’ll make sure to share them when she does. Do you have a project you’d like us to showcase? Leave a comment below!

The post Designer Spotlight: Sonia Verdu appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Gafsa Design’s off-road wheels

The wheels were commissioned by a customer of Gafsa, who also shared some exciting in-progress glimpses of the Land Rover Defender 110 under construction:

The wheels post-installation, inspiration in the background

The body of the Defender

Gafsa created the wheels in SolidWorks and Rhino. Thanks for sharing these incredibly realistic off-road wheels, Gafsa! We can’t wait to see the finished product.

Do you have a cool project to share? Post a comment below for a chance to be featured on the blog!

The post Amazingly Accurate Off-Road RC Car Wheels appeared first on Shapeways Blog.