Something new: the shapie of things to come
Christy Choi
We've had extreme selfies and yoga selfies - and the word "selfie" has entered the Oxford English Dictionary. Now one firm is taking it to the next level of narcissism: 3D-selfies.
Previously used by the movie industry for CGI, and selfie-loving United States President Barack Obama, the 3D-imaging technology produced by Artec Group is now reaching the masses.
Artec's Shapify booth, which was showcased at AsiaWorld-Expo last week, scans those who step inside to produce a 3D gypsum figurine - a "shapie".
It's an incy bit more complex than your smartphone selfie. You enter the booth and stand very, very still in the brightly lit cylinder while a scanner spins around you for about 12 seconds. Step away and within 10 seconds watch your body begin to take form on a screen nearby.
Every curve, clenched muscle, even the folds of your trousers, are there in 3D glory.
A week later, your 3D selfie will be delivered to your address. The likeness of the model isn't quite photo-realistic, as the printing technology isn't there yet, but stand next to your figurine and you'll have a 20cm-high mini-me.
Since Artec provides just the scanning technology, you could take your data to any 3D printer. Fancy a gold one? Find a printer with metallic capabilities and that's possible, too. Obama went with a traditional bust - what once might have taken an artist months to produce can now be done within hours.
In East Asia, the Shapify booth is available only in Beijing, for now (in Britain, Artec has sold it to supermarket chain Asda and is looking for a similar deal in Hong Kong).
In the meantime, you can make a 3D clone of yourself at home. Invest in a Microsoft Kinect sensor (normally used to play Xbox games) and download the Shapify app. Scan yourself in and hand over US$79, plus shipping, for the l'il you.
Scanning only works for humans, as the algorithms that put together the 3D scan are calibrated to people.
Sorry Fido, no figurines of you just yet.
