Scientists Discover how to 3D-Print Video Game Characters

A terminator sent through time to our reality? We might not be that far off! Thanks to Harvard computer scientists and their crew, you might be able to bring to life your favorite animation characters! No, it’s not quantum physics or some sort of loony project undertaken by mad scientists, an add-on software tool has been created so that you can 3D-print basically any two-dimensional video game character. This revolutionizes the 3D world as a new outlook on animation will be required if what is brought into the physical world is to stand on its own two legs without falling off balance.

Indeed, the physical constraints of our world must be respected in the virtual realm so that the size and location of the action figure’s joints will be able to hold its pose once 3D-printed. Furthermore, the tool increases the quality of the skin texture so that the 3D print can highlight such details. The result is a fully articulated and solid video game character “sent” to the physical world.

While animation only provides for a two-dimensional view of the subject, its 3D counterpart, once printed, allows you to experiment various stances and see how it moves in the physical world. However, the model is not able to produce anything that doesn’t have joints. As a result, the selection of animated figures that can be 3D-printed is somewhat narrow.

As lead author Moritz Bächer report, eventually, the animation character might be able to move on its own directly from the 3D print instead of being limited to a single pose at a time. This would require all electronics to come with the actual body. A patent application has been filed to market the new technology.