It’s been about a year and a half since Taiwan-based Kinpo Group announced that they would be manufacturing their own line of 3D printers. Here we are 18 months later and their decision could be seen by many as a major success. Through their relatively new subsidiary, XYZPrinting, Kinpo has managed to gain a decent market share within the consumer segment of the 3D printing space. By offering affordable machines which are available throughout the world, the company has already made a name for themselves in the industry.
When speaking with industry experts, one thing I usually ask them is, “What will it take for consumer 3D printing to get to the next level?”
A response I often receive is one which mentions affordable 3D scanning technology. When consumers are able to purchase both a reliable 3D printer and a 3D scanner for under $500 a piece, the technology will likely undergo an explosion in its adoption rates. The ability for anyone with $1000 to ‘photocopy’ a physical object could have impacts which have yet to be fully realized.
A few months back Intel announced their RealSense technology and immediately began partnering with some of the PC industry’s largest players. RealSense is basically vision for your computer. The RealSense camera can see more than a traditional camera can. It basically has 3D vision, making it perfect for possibly applications within the 3D scanning realm.
XYZPrinting’s parent company Kinpo Group, the world’s leading manufacturing conglomerate, noticed this and has thus set their sights on a partnership with Intel, according to Kinpo Group’s Chairperson Simon Shen.
“One of the challenges in 3D printing industry is lacking the proper figure files for downloading, users also have limited knowledge and technology to make their own 3D figure files.” said Simon Shen.
By working with Intel, Kinpo Group, likely through its subsidiary XYZPrinting, will be able to turn photos taken with Intel’s RealSense technology into 3D prints. The goal is to use these cameras as input devices for their printers. If they execute their plan just right, they may be able to package a highly accurate 3D scanner in with their 3D printers, enabling affordable all-in-one 3D printers/scanners/copiers. It is interesting to note that XYZPrinting already does offers an all-in-one device, the Da Vinci 1.0 AiO All-in-One 3D Printer for $799. With this said, reviews on Amazon for this product has not been particularly great.
It will be interesting to see what other companies may adopt Intel’s RealSense technology as a means of adding affordable, yet advanced 3D scanning to their 3D printers. Let’s hear your thoughts on this planned partnership in the Kinpo Group / Intel 3D Scanning forum thread on 3DPB.com.
