Kinect Hack Prints Miniature Caricatures in 3D

There have been plenty of cool Kinect hacks since Microsoft released the motion-sensitive device–highlights so far include the Super Sayian hack and getting a robot to mimic your every move. Earlier this month the hacking community could rejoice as Microsoft annouced that it would release the SDK for the Kinect. So it’s no surprise that the hacks are coming thick and fast, like this really cool 3D printout puzzle piece of yourself.

Creator Interactive Fabrication‘s hack, called Fabricate Yourself, was originally put through it’s paces at TEI 2011, where event goers could take home a little 3D caricature of themselves, thanks to the Kinect. Essentially, the hack connect the device up to a 3D printer, which will copy the saved image and print out a 3D render on a foam 3×3 jigsaw piece.

To do this, all passers by had to do was pose infront of the Kinect. The 3D image is then meshed and saved as an STL file. The joints to attach all the foam pieces together are then added to the file and printed with Dimension uPrint 3D printer. The original files are quite low due to the size of the pieces being printed.

Check out the YouTube video of the hack below, and then try and convince yourself that a jigsaw puzzle of yourself doing silly poses would not be fun.

Also, visit the Fabricate Yourself page on Inventive Fabrication’s site for more photos of the process.

Elizabeth Fish would rather have a robot replica of herself to do the household chores.

[Interactive Fabrication via Slashgear]

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