AMT-Lab contributors are always looking at all sorts of new technologies in the world of 3D. With the increasing popularity of technologies such as 3D printing, the possibilities continue to emerge. These new technologies and their uses in the art world keep us interested in how the intersection of art and technology impact our world. Take a look at a few new possibilities in 3D. 

3D Printer Uses Clay to Change Shape

Researchers at Lancaster University in the UK have developed a new form of 3D printing. The printer takes a scan of a physical object and produces a digital model. The model can then be altered both physically and digitally, and the corresponding system will also make the adjustments. This printing technology is expected to have big effects on commerce and personal design.

FingerAngle Lets You Manipulate Objects in Three Dimensions With The Tip of Your Finger

Chris Harrison has produced what he believes to be true 3D touch technology. He explains that “most touchscreens figure out the x and y of where you’re touching,” but he wants to explore the z-axis and the weak touch signals that occur right before and after your fingers make contact with your touchscreen. An example he gives to explain 3D touch is that instead of pinching or tapping to zoom in on your maps application or a photo, you simply twist the tip of your finger. With 3D touch technology, a touchscreen will be able to access “an expressive ecosystem of gestures.”

This 3D Project Intends to Re-create Works of Art for the Blind

A 3D printing company aims to transform many of the world’s artistic masterpieces into works of touch for the blind. 3DPhotoWorks prints 3D replicas of the masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Washington Crosses the Delaware, and even print maps and photographs. The company also embeds infrared sensors at strategic points that activate audio and other sensory devices to enhance the visitor’s experience. Their goal is “to provide the blind with access to art and photography at every museum and cultural institution in the country.”

Industrial Design to Contemporary Art: 3 Artists Implementing 3D Printing Technology

These three vignettes show what beauty 3D printing technology is capable of making. These three featured artists’ works are currently part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s exhibit Crafted: Objects in Flux which explores how technological advances allow artists to push the boundaries of creating. Jonathan Keep has devised his own way of making ceramics using a 3D printer instead of the traditional methods. Doug Bucci, a Type I diabetic, hopes to increase awareness of the disease by his biological inspired jewelry pieces made with a laser sintering 3D printer. Norwood Viviano casts 3D maps in glass and incorporates data from cities who have been transformed by industrial manufacturing.

“Design, 3D, Sphere” by nafergo, Source: pixabay