Artec 3D Brings Incredible Shapify Booths to New Jersey Mall & I Got to Try One Out!

Today, Artec 3D and Mirror Image 3D have announced that they are bringing Artec’s Shapify Booth to the Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, NJ. This new installation will allow anyone attending the mall to have a full body scan created of themselves either by themselves or with friends/loved ones in just 12 seconds flat. That’s right, the scanners, which we reported on back in October of last year, will be made available to shoppers in the Garden State.

“The growing popularity of 3D technologies is undeniable,” explained Tom Kaps of Mirror Image 3D. “Customers want to experience it firsthand but in a way that’s easy, fun and affordable. The Shapify Booth is making this possible, and it’s our hope to bring this technology to locations throughout the country and beyond so everyone can take their selfies to the next dimension.”

Artec 3D was recently kind enough to give me and my wife, Whitney, the opportunity to experience their technology first hand. I had the chance to pose with Whitney as the massive machine made a full 360-degree rotation around us in just 12 seconds. Using four wide-view, high resolution scanners, the machine was able to capture us from virtually every angle possible. These are the same high performance scanners that are used in the manufacturing, aerospace and media fields, and are able to capture every minute detail.

Whitney and I getting scanned

I must be honest. When I first heard of these scanners, I was a bit skeptical. I’ve seen other 3D scanners before and while they are fun to use and experiment with, I have been a bit disappointed with the results. This definitely was not the case with the Shapify Booth though.

3D Rendering

During our demo, the staff at the booth was very friendly and knowledgeable of the technology. My first impression of the scanner was that it was much larger than I had originally anticipated. As Whitney and I stood there, we were told to hold our position until the entire scanner could make a full rotation around our bodies. When they say it takes just 12 seconds, they are not joking. It took exactly 12 seconds to make the rounds, and we were then told that we could step off of the scanning platform and back down to the floor.

“Is that it?  I thought you were going to scan our entire bodies,” Whitney asked the staff.

We were told that it had already worked its magic, and were then shown our 3D rendering on the large screen display that they had on hand in the booth. I was very impressed by the detail that it captured. Everything from my wife’s wedding ring to intricate wrinkles in my khaki pants were captured perfectly. My wife’s boots came out almost exact, while my shoes for some reason did not enable the capture of quite as many details (probably because they were so dark).

A few weeks later when Artec 3D shipped my “Shapie” (a 3D printed replica of what was captured), my wife and I were even more impressed. Printed in full-color sandstone, the statue was simply amazing. It currently sits on my desk in my office, and whenever I have any visitors, it is always the first thing they comment on. As you can see in the photos taken, as well as the 3D printed statue that was created, this technology is absolutely no joke. I would highly recommend anyone with the opportunity to experience the Shapify booth, to do so. If you are in New Jersey, it is definitely worth the trip to Freehold to see this technology first hand, and perhaps even walk away with a 3D printed model of yourself and your loved ones.  They make for the perfect holiday gifts, birthday presents, or just a unique keepsake.

If you aren’t in New Jersey, don’t worry. Artec 3D tells us that they plan to bring their Shapify booths to additional locations in the near future.

“We are thrilled to announce another retail location for the Shapify Booth now with Mirror Image 3D at the Freehold Raceway Mall,” explained Artyom Yukhin, president and CEO of Artec 3D. “Our technology has helped people all over the world capture and forever-remember loved ones, places and moments in ways unimaginable just a few short years ago. We’re excited to continue to bring our 3D technology to more users and public locations.”

What do you think about this 3D printed model that we have had created? Have you had the chance to take part in the Shapify experience first hand? Discuss in the Artec 3D Shapify Booth forum thread on 3DPB.com. Also if you are in the New York City area next week, be sure to stop by the Inside 3D Printing Conference to see the Shapify Booth for yourself as well.