Apr. 7, 2015 | By Simon



With the rise of robot culture both in the technology and entertainment worlds, it was only a matter of time before an inspired maker created a near-life-sized robot using additive manufacturing technologies...it is the year 2015, after all.

Two years ago, designer Danny Choo of Culture Japan created a 3D printed “Smart Doll” that was designed based off of the anime character Mirai Suenaga, the mascot for Culture Japan. Modeled in ZBrush before being imported into 3DS Max for final assembly fit details, the doll was capable of being produced for roughly 100,000 yen (USD1000 / EUR769). The 3D printed interactive robot stood 60 cm tall and was capable of being controlled via a smartphone when she was first conceived.

Now, Choo has upgraded from his FormLabs’ Form 1 3D printer to the much-larger ATOM 2.0 FDM 3D printer that allows him to print well-beyond the 60 cm size constraint that he was limited to with the Form 1. Now, he is capable of producing a copy of the same Mirai Suenaga robot as large as 120 cm while maintaining a high print resolution for ensuring that that the lifelike details are preserved for creating the mold components for the final model.

“As a Form1 user which utilizes Stereolithography (SLA), I was never a fan of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers on the market as the quality was just not there,” said Choo in a blog post. “The ATOM however can print at 0.05mm (50 microns) which is perfectly fine for electromolding.”

Additionally, Choo doesn’t appear to miss the oftentimes messy cleanup process that can result in printing with SLA 3D printers.

“The problem with Stereolithography printers like the Form 1 is that it gets really messy with a load of liquid that you need to make sure does not get on your skin. Our Form 1 kicked the bucket just after a year of use and as mentioned in the review, their customer support is terrible so I gave up trying to get them to fix it - besides, the printer paid for itself in terms of the prints that it did for us so I wasn't bitter.”

The final dolls will be made from a soft vinyl at a manufacturing facility in Japan.

In calling her the Smart Doll Plus, Choo is referring to the robot as not a robot at all, but rather “the future of home appliances”. In addition to being able to walk around on her own and pick up recognizable objects that will be programmed into her AI, the Smart Doll Plus is also connected to the internet 24/7 and is capable of tapping into any information that a user wants her to have. Among other applications that Choo is working on include functionalities to work with IFTTT to enable the Smart Doll Plus to connect to smart home devices including Dropcam and Nest which would essentially expand the doll into not only being a personal assistant, but also a home security option.

Now that he has found a suitable 3D printing solution for creating his larger Smart Doll Plus parts, Choo has had no choice but to shield requests for the smaller dolls so he can further spend time on his larger doll project.

“I know some people will be disappointed that I'm stopping development (for now) on the 1/3 scale version. But at the same time, I know that there will be a load of folks who will be happy at my decision,” added Choo.

“My goal is not to please everybody - as we all know that is the key to failure. But making Smart Doll Plus in this size makes so much more sense and the additional ability of her being able to walk and do the shopping is a game changer.”

For users who prefer a male Smart Doll, Choo has also offered a male version that features the same internal components as his “sister doll”. As for the smaller Smart Dolls, Choo has had no option but to focus his attention on the larger dolls.

While the final cost of a Smart Doll Plus hasn’t been disclosed, interested purchasers can stay updated by falling Choo’s build progress on the Culture Japan website.

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

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Yuli Ban wrote at 11/29/2015 8:11:31 PM:Mmmm-mmmm, I'm smellin' some sweet robot pancakes in the near future. Can't wait to eat 'em.Boob-a-licious wrote at 4/8/2015 3:10:17 PM:Its obvious Choo likes boobs...Thomas wrote at 4/8/2015 1:04:36 AM:Danny Choo posted this news on April 1st..



