Hauke Scheer’s New 3D Printed Action Figure Can Move Better Than Many Humans

3D printed figurines are fun to make and to have around, but for the most part, they don’t do much – they just kind of stand or sit there stiffly. Unless, of course, they’re made by Hauke Scheer, a designer whose work we have admired in the past. Scheer creates incredible articulated action figures that can bend and be moved into an array of poses. Created in minute detail, Scheer’s figures are about as realistic-looking as action figures can get, and he’s used them to create amazing stop motion videos.

A couple of years ago, Scheer 3D printed an action figure of himself that’s at least as realistic as any Shapie, which is pretty impressive considering the fact that he didn’t have a 3D scanner – he worked only from photographs. Recently he created an updated version of the figure and a new video, which you can watch below. Rather than being stop motion, Scheer instead filmed himself moving the figure:

This latest figure is especially impressive because it’s printed at a smaller scale than his previous ones, thanks to Scheer’s new Formlabs Form 2 3D printer. The figure is only 3 and 3/4 inches tall, yet maintains a level of detail equal to or even sharper then the previous ones.

“The new durable material the Form2 printer uses makes it also extremely easy to handle the figure,” Scheer told 3DPrint.com. “This figure has almost the same properties as a mass produced PVC figure. It has very sturdy joints, can hold accessories and can even have add on clothing parts. Paint chipping may be an issue in the long run but so far I am very happy. This is the closest to emulate a mass produced toy I ever came with a 3D printed prototype.”

If anything, Scheer’s action figure is superior to a lot of mass-produced figures. Most of the mass-produced action figures I have seen are prone to falling over if nudged or positioned on an uneven surface, but the video shows Scheer’s figure bending, leaning, and standing on one foot on rocky terrain. Images show the figurine standing in trees and rivers, and even “climbing” rocks.

“The figure was created using Modo with additional work like the plug holes for the joints done in Netfabb,” Scheer told us. “All parts easily snap together and need very little post processing except for the removal of the supports. I also took the figure on a hiking trip in Scotland to see how it would do in action. The figure held up very well except for some slight paint chips.”

According to Scheer, Formlabs’ Durable Resin lived up to its name; the paint chips mostly happened when putting on and taking off the rain poncho he 3D printed for the figure. ABS was used for the joints. If you’d like to have a fully articulated, detailed action figure of yourself to take on hikes with you, Scheer does offer commissioned work through his website, based on photos that clients send him. That could be a great gift idea for a child; a movable figure of him- or herself is certainly more exciting than a figurine that just sits on a shelf or table. Especially a figure with the flexibility and balance that Scheer is capable of creating.

If you’re interested in learning more about Scheer’s work, you can also check out his Facebook page. Discuss in the Hauke Scheer forum at 3DPB.com.