3D Printing the Future Science Museum
Leading manufacturer of 3D printers and materials Stratasys has announced its exciting involvement in a new London exhibition.
The company has revealed that the hotly-anticipated London Science Museum exhibition 3D Printing the Future will feature 150 3D-printed miniature models of visitors made using Stratasys 3D printing technology.
The miniatures are produced using a number of Stratasys FDM 3D printers, the small figurines will be on display from October 9th until February 10th 2014.
Featuring contributions from Stratasys UK distributor Laser Lines Ltd, the exhibition will explore the process of 3D printing, from 3D scanning right through to the production of 3D models. The 150 statuettes were created from the scans of a selection of visitors who took part in the 3D scanning workshops run at the Museum by Digital Native Academy (DNA) throughout August.
The DNA team provided Laser Lines with the final 3D scan files required to 3D print the models, which range in height from 5 to 20 cm. In total, the exhibition will boast 700 3D printed objects produced by a range of materials including nylon, titanium, sandstone, and many more.
Pippa Hough, Content Developer at the Science Museum, said: "3D printing is a hot topic right now and our exhibition aims to shine a light on the latest developments and discuss where the technology may take us in future.
"By displaying models of people in the exhibition, we aim to create a deeper engagement with our visitors. Those who were scanned can feel a physical connection with the exhibition. I hope to see lots of visitors trying to spot themselves once the exhibition has launched."
According to Hough, the exhibition aims to engage visitors in the latest issues from the world of science and technology through a program of exhibitions and holiday events.
Jeryl Adcock, Marketing and Administration Manager at Laser Lines, added: "We are extremely proud to be supporting the Science Museum with this project. As the Museum asked us to produce a range of colored models, including orange, green, red and blue, we recommended Stratasys ABS Plus 3D printing material. It comes in a range of colors, but most importantly we expect it to be able to withstand constant interaction with the public, while maintaining fine detail."
Iconic Fashion Piece
The Museum, which has around three million visitors a year, will also feature Pneuma 2, a stunning 3D printed sculpture inspired by the human lung designed by the widely acclaimed Professor Neri Oxman. The intricate piece combines a number of different material properties, 3D printed with Stratasys’ unique PolyJet technology which enables designers to 3D print multiple materials simultaneously in a single model without post-assembly.
The sculpture is one of 18 ‘beings’ featured in Oxman’s collection and is inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’ Book, Imaginary Beings, an encyclopedia of imaginative zoology that contains descriptions of 120 mythical beasts from folklore and literature. Each 'being' in this series personifies a particular human function – breathing in the case of Pneuma 2. The 18 pieces were first exhibited at the world famous Centre Pompidou, as part of the Multiversités Créatives exhibition, which ran from May to August last year.
Arita Mattsoff, Vice-President of Marketing at Stratasys, stated: "It is gratifying to see 3D printing featured so prominently by one of the world’s great science museums. Everyday we are discovering exciting new applications for 3D printing, touching virtually every discipline and industry, from art and fashion to medicine, architecture and manufacturing.
"We hope that many visitors will take advantage of this opportunity to experience this amazing technology which is not yet leveraged to its full potential."
The exhibition is free to visitors and open to the public from Wednesday, October 9th.
