Cremation Solutions

If you're at a loss for how to store the ashes of your loved ones after cremation, one cremation supplies store is offering a novel solution: a 3D-printed urn in the shape of a head. And not just any head -- these urns are custom made, using 3D modelling, to be a portrait of your loved one; or, if you so choose, a celebrity -- such as the Barack Obama bust made by the company to demonstrate its skills.

"The urns are created using the latest technology to create a perfect likeness of the deceased. Using pictures and special facial recognition software we can transform your favourite two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional sculpture that captures the finest details," Cremation Solutions wrote.

"They only need one or two photos to create the likeness, and it can even erase blemishes so they will look their best for all eternity. You will never again have to worry that you might forget what your loved one looked like when you invest in one of these custom-made very lifelike cremation urns."

Unlike other companies that make 3D portraits using 3D photographs of the person, for obvious reasons, Cremation Solutions works off photographs -- preferably one from the side and one from the front -- using the images to create a 3D model of the person's head. There are no refunds on the finished product, but the customer does get to approve the model before it goes to print.

These urns are available in two sizes, a keepsake size for $600, which hold a portion of the ashes of a cremated body; and a full size for $2600, which will hold the ashes of an entire cremated body. Both sizes come on a heavy marble base to avoid being tipped over.

The company also offers 12-inch poseable action figure "urns", and here's where it starts to get a little more strange: the images from the action figure section of the Cremation Solutions website seem mainly to have been taken from a website called That's My Face, a company created by a University of Cambridge graduate to create custom action figures -- with absolutely no mention of cremation.

And the controversial "Bad Girl" urn is a 2011 Bond Girl action figure made by Triad Toys -- as was the Biker Girl -- so, even if the company does have a deal with That's My Face, there's still something weird going on. CNET has contacted Cremation Solutions for comment and will update when we find out more.

The heads themselves seem legit, though, so if you want to store your loved one's ashes in a replica of Barack Obama's head, feel free to go nuts.

(Via 3DPrint)