Kickstarter: 3D Print Your Dog in Miniature via Minichua

There are many 3D printing related Kickstarter campaigns to consider, but some just stand out of the pack.  One such example is the campaign to raise £28,000 (about $43,500 USD) by June 18 for Minichua: Customizable 3D Printed Dog Figurines. Everyone is crazy about their dogs, or a family pet we grew up with, or a dog that died too soon… Minichua has a great idea for commemorating our dogs past and present: a subtle and endearing 3D printed figurine of them, so they can remain in our hearts forever.

What makes Minichua different from the other pet figurine printing services out there? In one simple word: accuracy. Its website will have a “character configurator” to personalize your pet more accurately. Pets move most of the time when not asleep so it can be very difficult to take good photos of them. (I once had a dog that suddenly became painfully shy and put his face between his paws when I had my camera out.) To address this problem, Minichua will use a collection of models to guarantee detailed figurines and different poses. Also, pre-defined coats will be used as a reference, but you can create your own coats with photos or 2D/3D painters. You will also be able to choose model, volume, texture, size, and material.

“With more than 10 materials, from plastics to gold, and about 100 finishes, from translucent to neon pink or photo-realistic, your choice is infinite,” the Kickstarter promises.

The smallest Kickstarter pledge, named “The Chihuahua” — which gets you one small plastic or sandstone figurine– is £25 (around $39 USD). Pledge amounts increase all the way up to £5,000,which gets you “The Scene” — with a maximum build size of 380 x 250 x 50 mm. The Scene includes as many figurines as you want in the settings of your choice: it sounds like you could print a whole dog show! In the middle of this funding spectrum is “The Quintet,” which will get you five small-sized bronze or brass figurines for £100. Each pledge level has some setting and build specifications, including material choice limitations and offerings, and choices increase the more you pay.

A beta version of Minichua’s website is also available to show you the website ordering platform. Minichua’s founder, Olivier Depin, has a strong background in technology, which will help with this new company. He has worked for large companies and small start-ups as an IT engineer, project coordinator, and innovation consultant. As the Kickstarter page explains, Depin is “passionate about 3D modelling, he has big ideas and the technical experience to cope with implementation challenges like online 3D technologies, part management or vendor API interfaces.”

With the campaign wrapping up on June 18, you still have time to dig out some of those old family dog photos to surprise a parent with a special figurine, or capture that perfect pose that summarizes your dog’s quirky personality, with a view towards printing it. One thing is for sure: Minichua seems to give customers many options for accurately creating a beloved dog figurine.

Is there a dog you’d like to see immortalized in miniature? Let us know if you’ll be backing the campaign at the Minichua Kickstarter forum thread over at 3DPB.com.