We started off class this week discussing the capabilities of Kinect hardware. Our instructor demonstrated the ability to to scan by connecting the Kinect hardware to an iPad. The Kinect software incorporates motion-sensing technology to be able to easily scan an image and digitally load it onto a device.

Using the Kinect attached to the iPad required a lot of patience and good lighting. In order to digitalize high quality pictures ready to 3D print, it was important to make sure there were no other objects in the background that would detract from what you’re trying to scan.

Another software we learned about was called Meshmixer. Meshmixer allows you to clean up or design an object to fit into something else. It is a very powerful editing software. Just being able to scan was not enough – it was also important to be able to refine an image. I described the software as possible because it allowed us to create a more natural depiction of what a person looks like. Overall, Meshmixer enabled us to refine images to make them look more natural and of higher quality.

Lastly, we also spent a lot of time in class working on our final project. My group is working on designing our prototype in Autodesk. We want to design our steering wheel knob so that it can be twisted onto a clamp. In turn, this will allow for us to design customizable attachments that can be replaced/screwed on to any attachment. My team and I are projecting that our final deliverables for the semester will include: 1) 3-4 different types of steering wheel knobs that can be attached to a clamp via twist; 2) a clamp with a screw like indentation allowing for a steering wheel knob to be attached. Our current timeline is to have our designs finalized within the next two weeks and to have working prototypes printed the week after.

We are in the midst of designing the different parts that goes into this, I’m excited to start printing out our prototypes as we begin to finalize our designs.