I’m sorry, are you looking at my nose? You are? It’s oddly beautiful in it’s realism and splotchiness you say? Why, thaaaaaank you! You might like to know it’s fresh out of the design lab. Yeah, just plopped it on this morning. Uh-huh, designed in some fancy-pants modeling software called “Freeform” from an outfit named Sensable. They’re showing off thess perfectly, imperfectly flared nostril pores at RAPID2011 this week. You want a close-up? No problem!!
Sensable is doing one thing other 3D software companies are not doing. They’re diversifying revenue streams by combining software and hardware – 3D freeform design software and Haptic feedback devices to provide unbridled control over the shape of your design. Yeah, UNBRIDLED. Like an unbridled horse that kicks your nose off. The two design tools they provide are Freeform, “3D touch-enabled modeling” and Claytools, “Sculptural Modeling for Digital Content Creation.” Combining that with one of their PHANTOM haptic devices and 6DOF of nose forming bliss on your desktop.
“Traditional CAD programs simply could not allow the degree of finely sculpted curves, the gentle feathering of the edges of the silicone prosthesis to the maximum thinness of 0.04 millimeters that the material could support – and textural details like wrinkles, creases in the bridge of the nose and skin pores that make the prosthesis appear lifelike. Additionally during the design phase of the prosthetic, Freeform made it easy to carve away an additional 1-2mm in depth around the entire area where the prosthetic would sit. This ensured an excellent ‘pressure fit’ – allowing the thin edges of the prosthetic to press tightly against the skin and conform to the patient’s face.”
Here’s that closeup…
The nose is designed by Centre for Applied Reconstructive Technologies in Surgery (CARTIS). The nose (and other medical product design) is being shown at RAPID2011, an SME show on additive manufacturing. How does the haptic device work with the software?
