World’s First 3D Printing Photo Booth to Open in Japan

3D printers – it’s a word that offers glimpses into the future that seems so far, and yet is so close. The technology, which allows you to replicate 3D objects the same way you make a photo copy, has been around for a couple years now, but, for the most part, has been far too expensive and inaccessible to the public.

But now, what’s being called the world’s first 3D printing photo booth is set to open for a limited time at the exhibition space EYE OF GYRE in Harajuku. From November 24 to January 14, 2013, people with reservations can go and have their portraits taken. Except, instead of a photograph, you’ll receive miniature replicas of yourselves.

Reservations are taken only through the website. You can pick from 3 sizes, S (10cm), M (15cm) and L (20cm) for 21,000 yen, 32,000 yen and 42,000 yen, respectively. But there are group discounts! This would be really fun to do with your kids, who seem to grow up just way too fast.

The project was brought to you by the creative powerhouse PARTY.


source: @masakawa

18 Comments

  1. Thats really cool! Another reason why I wish I lived in Japan

  2. We were just talking about how we could use 3D printers at a DesignMash the other day – trying to work out how we could make V&A at Dundee the most digitally advanced museum…..this would be cool.

  3. Image these at ComicCons. Print yourself as an action figure.

  4. Great article!
    We already do that right here in Orange County! Check out the Thingify.me booth in Irvine Spectrum Center. More details at thingify.net

  5. This is great.

  6. Hi,
    looks nice! Only the scan equipment used for the job is not the right one. Takes too long and inaccuracy on the hair is a problem.
    We scan in 2 minutes with stunning results. Take a look at 3d-servicecenter.com EU based.
    Good luck with your project, nice pilot!

  7. @Digger, also, just because they’ve been through photoshop doesn’t mean the pictures are fake, they were probably just retouched or colour corrected.

  8. Christopher Schmidt

    November 12, 2012 at 11:37 pm

    @digger: Reading the fotoforensics “How to interpret”, I’m not sure I agree with your assessment. You took the two images which have consistent, easy to compress backgrounds, and pointed out the obviously distinct features — which should compress differently — compress differently.

    In any case, it seems clear that this service can exist in one form or another, even if these aren’t actual pictures, but I don’t think it’s obvious from these shots that there is photo manipulation involved here.

  9. digger is an example of someone that has just enough information to be a problem. If you actually understand Error Level Analysis (ELA), you’ll know that solid areas of color (like the solid areas of white) in the background) won’t show much variation. The ELAs of these images do NOT suggest they were photoshopped any more than any other photo that has merely been cleaned up a bit in photoshop. Amateurs can’t determine much from ELA… it requires a bit more education to spot a truly “faked” image.

  10. I need an invitation to Japan!

  11. Christine Ohtani-Chang

    November 14, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    great1 MINIMEEES!!

  12. Take a look at 3D Systems in Valencia, CA . My former client 15 years ago that pioneered the sterolithography (their term) technology and is finally doing quite well.

  13. Nothing new, I just saw that a company in Madrid has been offering the same thing for three years

  14. In ThreeDee-You (Madrid/Spain) we have been producing 3d sculptures of people since June 2010.

    We are the pioneers, worldwide.

    Our technology is state of the art: we need 2.5 seconds to complete a take, not 15 minutes. 15 minutes scanning time makes it impossible to correctly reproduce the shapes, people move and it is therefore impossible to guarantee the resemblance between original and sculpture (just like a photo could be blurred…).

    And we do it for about half the price…

    All the information in http://www.3d-u.com

  15. The fakery in this image is much more definitive: http://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=18529cfeec613faf5c71e924e00ec8b95b023b88.152483

    It has definitely been altered. However, after looking at the company’s original website, I found this image which has an “unpainted” version of the mini-statue and a colored one. What appears to be the case is that the colors added to the statues have been done in Photoshop while the statues themselves are real: http://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=8b72fadb457390754250ef16816e1a43effb2e7a.102559

    I guess it’ll be up to you to paint your statue yourself.

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