July 3, 2015 | By Simon
As virtual world building games such as Minecraft continue to gain popularity, it comes with little surprise that ‘real world’ world building - through the use of 3D constructions sets such as Lego and K’Nex - is also seeing an increase in interest.
We’ve already seen how 3D printing is helping designers and engineers make these construction set experience better through the use of custom designed components - such as the Build Upons lighted Lego bricks - but what about giving users the ability to 3D print their own custom designed construction sets through a mobile app?
If recent efforts from a team of Lebanese design engineers are any indication, the ability to 3D print individual components for your own construction set from a phone may be soon upon us.
Created by a group of design engineers from Beirut, QalamSila 2.0 is a 3D construction app that will let users build models on their mobile devices before 3D printing the resulting joint connectors and combining them with wood pencils to create K’Nex-like models.
While there is already an existing QalamSila product that can be accessed using a web browser, founder Guillaume Crédoz and his team consisting of Nicolas Reeves, Roy Massaad, Chady Karlitch, and Ragheed Abi Hassan, are hoping that they can launch a mobile app of the same experience with a Kickstarter campaign where they are seeking just over $60,000 before their campaign ends August 3rd.
Currently, the existing QalamSila construction platform has a library of more than 100 connectors that can be used to join wooden pencils into toys, prototypes, models or any other creation that a creator can think of. According to Crédoz, the plan is to expose more people to the QalamSila platform through the app, which will also enable others to share their connections easily through the mobile UI. Ultimately, the team is hoping that the app and platform will ultimately become “a digital ecosystem for a community of makers” who actively use the system.
To create a model using the system, a user simply models the intended design in the app, which then provides pricing and ordering information before placing an order; the price is based on the number of 3D printed connectors that are needed to successfully build the model with wooden pencils. In addition to providing an intuitive modeling experience for all levels of creators, the app will also act as the platforms social sharing network, too for easy uploading and sharing of models for others to download and purchase, if they desire.
For their Kickstarter campaign, the company is offering a variety of awards that include both “Q-Units” credits for the system as well as access to various` levels of the platform’s library - such as the “Journeyman Craftman’s Level” and the “Master Craftman’s Level”, which start at just $6 USD. The company plans on using the funds raised through the campaign to hire a world-class team of developers to create the app.
“If you like QalamSila and want such a project to become digital with its own community so you can use it yourself whenever you want and wherever you want with a friendly app you would want such a project to see the light. By supporting us by buying Q-Units or unlocking Craftsman levels we will also be showing you our appreciation by bundling different donations with different reward tiers for early funders.”
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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