Early last year, Makie Lab entered the 3D printing scene with a super cool idea – 3D printed toys. In essence, they took Build-A-Bear Workshop and made it even more customizable thanks to the versatility of 3D printers. Now they’re at CES talking about the work they’re doing to bring toys into the 21st century.
3D Systems hosted Makie Lab CEO Alice Taylor at their CES booth this week to talk about the process of making 3D printed toys. What with toys being made out of plastic, you’d think it would be pretty easy to make toys out of 3D printers. While that’s technically true, Makie Lab revolutionized the concept by making a Web site where children can design their own toy and then have it shipped to them.
For its future plans, Makie Lab will launch an online game where players create a digital avatar that explores a virtual game world. Those kids can then have the company send them a 3D printed recreation of their digital avatar.
In what is perhaps the biggest takeaway from Makie Lab’s presentation is that customization creates a stronger bond between the object and the child. Taylor notes that they have not had a single return in the year they’ve been in business which indicates that children are actually satisfied with the toys.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Makie Lab’s dolls are still terrifying:
Image via Makie Lab
