Jun 6, 2015 | By Alec
There is always plenty to see and do at a convention on 3D printing technology, and the third annual World Conference and EXPO of the 3D Printing Technology in Chengdu, China, is no different. Yesterday we already saw the unveiling of a 3D printing kit aimed specifically at children, but a team of designers from Chinese 3D printing platform EAZER have also developed something fantastic: The Puzzle of All Things, a gigantic wall of modular 3D printed components that interact with you and your surroundings.
If anything, this fascinating decorative wall shows just what is possible with technology nowadays. Among its many abilities are the sensing of temperatures and users’ body temperatures (called perceptual environments) and even to change the visual lighting effects of the wall to correspond with temperatures, weather patterns and activity in the surroundings.
The result is a gorgeous interactive wall full of bright colors that respond to music and even to the dancing of onlookers. Swining, jumping and even just walking past the wall create entirely different responses. The wall can even ‘communicate’ with users and the internet through a series of embedded sensors, enabling visitors to play a number of cool games with The Puzzle of All Things. It is, in short, something you cannot miss when visiting the four-day EXPO on 3D printing technology in Chengdu.
The designers behind this inspiring creation teamed up with a number of Chinese parties to create The Puzzle of All Things, including the Associate Professor at Huazhong University of Science Zuo Songwen, META design team and others. Through their extensive building process, they relied on a number of 3D printing technologies, parametric design and interaction design specialisms to complete what might be the largest decorative 3D printed wall in existence.
The wall itself actually consists of lots and lots of 3D printed modules that can be attached to each other to form a wall. 'We used 1309 modules and connected them together. To achieve the final results, we had to run thirty 3D printers simultaneously to 3D print all the parts in time for the expo. Thanks to 3D printing technology, we achieved a level ofaccuracy and efficiency that traditional manufacturing techniques cannot compete with,’ a spokesperson from EAZER said.
These 3D printed modular blocks then form the screen for an impressive taste of high level projection technology. ‘It is a perfect combination of programming, logic and numbers. We use projection technology to connect abstract column sets with real sets of columns in a database, to realize a projection that changes through interaction with the environment,’ they explain. Future versions of the wall are expected to be able to interact with humity levels, pressures, ultrasonic and even infrared signals as well. ‘To achieve completely natural control, the walls will be rendered with more powerful effects,’ the chief designer behind the The Puzzle of All Things said. They are further hoping that 3D printed walls can, in the future, quietly influence our life. Can you imagine walking in the mall alongside walls that respond to whatever you and your friends are doing?
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Wow this is very cool! It reminds me a little of German multitouch manufacturer eyefactive (http://www.eyefactive.com)
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