MakieLab Makes Customizable 3D Printed Avatars

MakieLab is a new UK-based startup from veterans of virtual worlds and gaming which has a brilliant idea: Let users create customizable avatars online, then send the avatar's unique data to a 3D printer, where it becomes a real doll. Here's a good new article on the company (hat tip: Mal Burns.) The company's led by Alice Taylor, who's developed education-themed games for the UK's Channel 4 and the BBC, among many other places, and it was co-founed by Sulka Haro, formerly the lead designer of the web-based virtual world Habbo Hotel (and by far the largest of its kind.) So when this headline says, "Alice Taylor thinks 3D printed avatars will make her business as big as Lego," it's not puffery, but speaks to the founders' awareness of what kids today want in avatars. Even though, I should say by way of full disclosure, Alice is a dear friend who I think is the awesomesauce. She's a fan of Iris Ophelia's SL fashion blogging, too. All that said, go see what MakieLab is making.

Images from LondonlovesBusiness.com.

Comments

[Pussycat Catnap]

Hasn't there been a company doing this for nearly five years now for World of Warcraft characters?

Granted - a more limited example that has lost its hype already. But this isn't a first case scenario.

[bobo]

and like the others,unless it has DEEP VC Pockets willing to wait another decade, itll be gone in 18 months. Too expensive .

[Nexii Malthus]

I actually saw her giving a presentation over in a recent Hack News London meetup. Found it really interesting but I think it's a shame that the doll models seem to be fixed. People would want to adjust the parameters of the doll as they can do to an SL avatar, such as making nose bigger etc, but it doesn't seem you'll have any choice here.