Jul 1, 2017 | By Julia

Soon it’ll be easier than ever to stay connected while on vacation – at least, if your vacation includes deep sea diving. Just announced last Monday, the popular cruise ship line Royal Caribbean has developed a 3D printed diving mask using Snapchat Spectacles. Although the SeaSeeker mask is only in its prototype stage, the concept is already taking off: users will be able to snap their underwater adventures, granting their followers an enviable glimpse of life under the sea.

First launched in the US back in September of 2016, Snapchat Spectacles have taken thousands of Snapchat users by storm. The high-tech glasses let users snap videos with the push of a button, without the hassle of having to get their phone out of their pocket. Now available in the UK as well, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to up the ante on this Snapchat innovation.

Now that someone has proven to be Royal Caribbean, with the help of design agency MullenLowe. To make the SeaSeeker mask, the development team designed a 3D printed Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic adaptor to mount the Snapchat Spectacles inside the mask. That keeps the Snapchat Spectacles aligned flush inside the mask while positioning the camera for a wide angle point of view, designed specifically for underwater. A magnetic button on the outside of the mask activates video recording, which is good for about 150 feet underwater and a 30 minute time span. Extra specs include Bluetooth and WiFi syncing, HD video capture, and underwater audio recording as well.

“The immersive point of view provided by Snapchat Spectacles are a great match for what we’re trying to do: bring new perspectives to the ecology and culture of the Caribbean," said Christian Madden, creative technologist at MullenLowe U.S.

"The challenge was finding a way to introduce the Spectacles to a completely foreign environment; deep below the ocean’s surface. Our design and prototyping process focused on creating a 3D printed adapter that surrounds the Spectacles and mates them to a customized dive mask, creating a water-tight environment for the camera’s electronics,” Madden said to Forbes.

3D printing proved invaluable to the prototyping process, allowing MullenLowe and Royal Caribbean to experiment with several different approaches before settling on the current version. Depth testing in a pressure chamber and practical test dives in the ocean were all part of the process, Madden added.

Now in its marketing phase, the SeaSeeker mask is being taken for a test run by three professional divers in the Caribbean, as showcased on Royal Caribbean’s Instagram and Snapchat channels.

No word yet on an official release date or pricing, but it’s been reported that guests onboard Royal Caribbean cruises will gain exclusive access to the SeaSeeker mask. And with all the growing hype, we’re betting it won’t be long before Royal Caribbean takes the plunge on this fun new innovation.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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