Ahem! Eyes Up Here, Please: A Focus on SexyCyborg & Her 3D Printing Journey

(Image: Imgur)

Surely, plastic surgeons around the world fervently wish that everyone thought like SexyCyborg. While some have no self-consciousness about their bodies no matter what, this Chinese maker who seems to be growing in fame has absolutely none about admitting to procedures like breast augmentation—or showing it all off. While she’s certainly aware it might not be the classiest look, she’s really just shooting for ‘more interesting.’

And while the T&A (and the legs, and the exposed teensy weensy thong, and the mile-high heels) certainly causes many people to click on her picture today and then consider the cool project at hand, what’s truly interesting is her aptitude for tinkering and technology. This woman is smart. And she’s creative.

Also highly motivated by fun fashion ideas, we’ve seen this Reddit member garner enormous attention—and perhaps even set new trends—with modern wardrobe essentials such as the LED Hikaru Skirt, with a battery pack that she 3D printed, having virtually no experience. That ‘hey maybe I’ll see what this thing can do’ moment as she borrowed a friend’s UP 3D printer is what truly catapulted her into the spotlight, surprising her quite a bit too as she was just operating on a whim making something for the yearly Maker Faire in Shenzhen last year.

“The end result got a lot of attention, or I did, or some combination of the two. I’m not an engineer or anything, and seeing your picture online in other countries is pretty cool for a regular girl who’s never traveled further than Southeast Asia,” SexyCyborg told Exolymph in a recent interview.

 

“After that, well, if all you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. So I got into the habit of making little things for around the house or little toys for the neighbors’ kids. 3D printed things are still a big novelty for most people, so you get a lot of face giving them as gifts and being able to use a 3D printer.”

It would seem that the haters just fuel her fire to keep growing as an innovator, as she has forged ahead showing the world some pretty interesting stuff, post electric skirt, like her 3D printed shoes with secret drawers mean to demonstrate that it wouldn’t be that hard to slip past security with nefarious items in your heels. She prefers to make ‘functional items,’ such as the wrist mounted nano drones or the 3D printed body replica, and expresses keen annoyance with the abundance of over-excited makers 3D printing just to 3D print. She also grows frustrated by the negative comments about her style and her body modifications, but points out that most of them come from westerners—in China, they like her just fine.

SexyCyborg displays her wrist mounted nano-drone [Image: Imgur]

“If a bunch of people in, say… Japan hated you, after a certain point it’s pretty easy to just not visit Japanese websites.”

Working as a web developer at her day job in Shenzhen while creating fun 3D printed items by night seems like a pretty good way to stay balanced, but SexyCyborg doesn’t rule out getting more business-oriented with her innovations either.

“Mostly I prefer to open-source all my designs as a sort of statement to other Chinese about giving back to the online communities that have given us so much. If I could do that and still earn a living it would be great.”

SexyCyborg with fans, showing off her LED skirt with 3D printed battery pack.

While she states that in China she has no problems from citizens shaming her, they are apparently rather suspicious as to how she is coming up with all these ideas on her own and continuing on. There is a question of who is sponsoring her, or ‘what company is behind her.’

SexyCyborg also completely deflates the idea that Shenzhen is a city filled with thriving makers. From her perspective, it couldn’t be further from the truth in terms of making from a creative perspective. People are focused on leading their lives in a linear, no nonsense fashion and according to her, don’t have a lot of time for that type of ‘play.’

It would seem that SexyCyborg’s willingness to go against the grain and spend some time playing—learning design programs and figuring her way around the 3D printer—has worked out pretty well. Perhaps all those with the negative attitudes should hit up a makerspace and see what all the fuss is about—or better yet, show us if they have nearly this much going on upstairs. Discuss further in the 3D Printing SexyCyborg forum over at 3DPB.com.

Having a 3D scan made for the body replica. [Image: Imgur]

Close-up of the battery pack from the LED Hikaru Skirt.