mSHAPE is a parametric design project which hopes to empower people to affect the shape of a predetermined design object.

Designed by Swiss firm Gramazio & Kohler and produced by Superform, mTABLE is the first mSHAPE product. It allows to modify an existing table design using a (Nokia Series 60) mobile phone. The mTABLE is designed by sculpting a surface, choosing dimensions, materials and colours. These paramaters are directly transmitted to the computer controlled production facility for the manufacturing of the mass customized mTABLE.

A lot of the ‘co-designs’ in the gallery seem to be primarily about cutting elliptical perforations into the table top. unfortunately I do not have access to a Nokia handset to test the application myself so if any Ponokosters try it out please feel free to send me some pics..

found via Trendhunter

Lazerian is a creative practice that began in 2006, set up by Liam Hopkins, a Manchester born designer-maker. Based in an ex- hat factory in Manchester, the practice is focused on the creation of functional objects through playful investigation of materials and processes, and seeks to imbue objects with a bit of soul. The practice works on a variety of projects, including furniture, interiors, and objects.
The Mensa series is constructed using birch plywood modules, which were derived from the use of computer modeling. Similar to the kind of construction more often seen in lampshades than structural furniture.

Products like the Anuak Dining Table are available in a range of sizes and finishes custom made for each order.

Another sweet little product is the Bodhi coat stand, manufactured from the branches of fallen trees, that has to be a sustainable design practice.

Thank you Contemporist

It sounds good in theory, a robot with a CNC head, until you see it working.

There is something deeply creepy about the way an insectoid robot moves, especially if it has a routing bit rotating at 22000 rpm as a head.
Matt Denton AKA: Winchy_Matt from MicroMagic Systems using B.F.Hexapod with an additional floating pen attachment, and a utility to convert DXF files into translation commands for the p.Brain controller, has built a walking CNC router!

The implications of this are huge, and a little scary, perhaps it is the fatalist in me but I can just imagine the robot crawling over a human head and inflicting some unwanted neurosurgery, or perhaps a little trepanning? I am sure there are other applications in the mining industry where these little guy’s could crawl in, drill core samples and crawl out. Or perhaps it could be a way to rescue people trapped in an earthquake type situation, but I keep thinking back to the trepanning….

Worse still if this was incorporated with the BigDog robot, previously mentioned on the Ponoko Blog

via Dave via Boing Boing

Just when you thought it was exciting enough having a desktop 3D printer about to be released for under $5000, along comes The Mcor Matrix, which Prints 3D using standard 80gsm A4 paper, at a fraction of the total cost of ownership of current 3D printing technology (no actual numbers), but with operating costs of up to 50 times less.

Basically the unit uses Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), or layer by layer of paper is cut then glued together to make a 3D object, you can use recycled paper, and the waste paper, can itself be recycled.

Models straight out of the Mcor Matrix have the appearance of a wood-carving and are “tough, durable and eco-friendly”. The final models can be treated with a cyanoacrylate which gives them a smooth, shiny finish and increases the life of the part, making it even more durable, according to Mcor Technologies. In terms of surface finish, the Mcor Matrix has a 2.54 times finer resolution than the market leader. Results from research conducted in Trinity College Dublin earlier this year which compares three rapid prototyping machines would reinforce this; “If these models were being used for fit form the Matrix would come out on top due to higher dimensional accuracy”.

The cost of the unit is not yet released, but according to the manufacturer “Regardless of the initial capital price point of the various machines, the maximum build (9.4litres or 316.33oz) of the Mcor Matrix costs under €94.00 ($135.00) to build, while a competitor having a cost per cc of €0.4 ($0.58) would be €3760 ($5,416.00). Any differential that might have been saved on the capital price of the machine is quickly lost.”

I can just imagine this producing the funkiest designs if you used say, a colour magazine as the raw paper to start with, giving you a wild multicolored model, revealing a kind of material truth.. Kinda like Australian designer Brodie Neill’s new furniture pieces Remix chaise longue carved from laminated plastic, plywood, chipboard and fibreboard.

Looking forward to seeing this one on the market..

Just a couple days after the election celebrations in Chicago, I went downtown to meet with Andrew Peerless. Andrew greeted me on the 12th floor of a high rise near Grant Park, housing the School of the Art Institute’s Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects. A former student of architecture at the University of Michigan and public relations professional of six years, he is currently a Masters candidate in Designed Objects and designer of the Herd table featured at the Deceptive Design exhibit.

After touring the school’s wood shop which housed a CNC router, laser cutter and fabber among other equipment, we sat down and discussed design - from process to paradigm.

IC: What was the most difficult obstacle in coming from your background in architecture and PR to coming for a degree in product design?

AP: Obviously there’s a relationship between architecture and product design, but I’m seeing a perhaps closer relationship between marketing and product design. In marketing you’re figuring out what people want to hear and how to get it to them which is not that different from giving people the products they want, products that are solutions to their problems.

IC: Is there a unifying theme in your work?

AP: I didn’t set out with a theme in mind, but I’ve noticed that a lot of what I’ve done has picked up elements of things generally considered mundane and tried to elevate them.

With my table for the Deceptive Design show- a cow is, at best, sort of a kitschy motif. You know, cookie jars and cows holding signs that say ‘home sweet home’. And to me it was really interesting to try to elevate that motif to something serious. People enjoy that piece because it’s something familiar, but the finish I think is what makes it a serious piece of furniture.

(The cow legs on Andrew’s table are actually sanded and lacquered wood; I thought they were ceramic!)

IC: How do you work through process; do you sketch, go to the computer or like to get to work with materials?

(more…)

Those of you who remember our communal drooling over the Compucarve, a desktop 3D cnc machine for just $1800 may also be interested in Aspire by Vectric.

Aspire is totally new 3D relief modeling and machining software for CNC routing and engraving projects such as carving decorative ornate panels and doors, swept flourishes, custom millwork, architectural moldings, dimensional signage, bespoke company logos, jewelry pieces and custom gifts. As used by Because We Can, featured in a previous post, perhaps even to make Little Wooden Robots???

Download the trial version and perhaps you can feed it into your very own Compucarve to produce your own 3D designs.

If that is to highbrow for you, why not use Vectric’s PhotoVCarve to, CNC your, or James Deans photo?

Following on from a previous post we continue our interview with Cathy Lewis of Desktop Factory. Cathy will also be speaking at the MIT Smart Customization Seminar along with other Mass Customisation luminaries including Frank T. Piller, William J Mitchell, B. Joseph Pine II, Alison Page the Director of Mass Customization at Adidas, Jana Eggers of Spreadshirt, Monika Desai of Sole Envie and many more…

But for now, back to the interview with Cathy Lewis.

Do you think many/any major brands will open their products to customisation by releasing CAD files for manipulation in the same way that OpenMoko has? Or do you see 3D printing as being more for the Prosumer who wishes to design and make their own objects?

Initially the small business world, education and the prosumer will be the beneficiaries of affordable 3D printing. These early adopters have demonstrated to us that there is a pent up demand for the technology and with their existing applications they will pave the way for the rest of us.

As the printing technology continues to improve, more consumer oriented CAD software comes on line, we begin to see the availability of low cost 3D scanners and more and better choices in materials become available, contemporary brands will want to take advantage of the opportunity to more closely interact with their customers by offering CAD files of various products and replacement parts for a fee or even for free. This approach will also allow these companies to focus on high value activities – like the development of new products and services – versus getting the right number of replacement parts manufactured, shipped and stored in the right warehouse at the right time. Let’s face it – once people know how to design or scan and build their own objects they will have the ability to reverse engineer some products and replacement parts themselves. Therefore it will be in the manufactures best interests to share or sell the files – and this also gives them the opportunity to post suggested use and safety information as well.


Do you foresee more business models like fabjectory, shapeways and ponoko being realized with the lowering of the price point of the 3D printer, or do you think someone like Kinkos will flood the market by offering 3D printing in every store?

The 2D printing analogy is very instructive here. In the initial stages of the traditional printing market the service bureaus helped the manufacturers build the applications and teach people how to print more effectively. Over time the prices for printers came down and we all had them on our desks and at home. The service bureaus then moved into more value added and high volume printing like financial statements, etc. And 25 years later even though we can now print photographs in our homes most of us still have a retail outlet perform that task because it is easier and less expensive.

In essence, we are confident that a full 3D ecosystem will develop over time with a variety of service and printer providers, analogous to the traditional 2D printing industry. The success and longevity of the participants will depend on their ability to help develop the market and evolve their offerings as the users become more sophisticated and their requirements change.

What do you see as currently the most interesting adoption of 3D printing within a process of mass customization?

When I think of true mass customization the use that stands out in the business to business environment is customized hearing aids with dental modeling in close pursuit. The application in the consumer arena that best depicts mass customization is the Fabjectory / Figureprints application where users are ordering a 3D image of their game character or avatar. As I said before, who knew consumers would want to make their virtual world physical!

and finally, Often when I tell people about my research they stare at me blankly until I compare it to the Jetsons kitchen fabricator thing (I never could remember it’s name). What is the description of 3D printing and Desktop Factory you use when faced with a glazed stare of incomprehension?

This blank or glazed stare you reference was actually my tipping point in joining Desktop Factory so I have developed two approaches in response. For the creative set who are bent on designing, customizing or improving a product I ask them to envision a technology that allows them to realize that dream, almost instantly, in a physical embodiment right on their desktop. For the rest . . . I reference Star Trek and a picture of a 3D printer quickly forms in their mind. They still may not believe it exists – and that is where the fun begins for me!

Thank you so much to Cathy for sharing her insights into 3D printing and the opportunities it opens for prosumer design and mass customization.

For those of you lucky enough to attend the MIT Smart Customization seminar I am sure it will be even more revealing.

Ideally this should be done with some sort of CNC router… much like the guys at Lumenlab have done:

This was done using their RoGR Robot. Their instructions for getting from gourd to “glow” makes a great tutorial for those wanting to dabble in the world of robotic manufacturing.