ASDA Supermarket Brings 3D Printed Mini-Mes to 10 Stores in the UK

Dr. Evil is no longer the only one who has a mini-me and now you can do it even if you don’t have access to his movie star budget. The Asda Supermarket chain in the UK is now offering, instead of the traditional studio portrait, the opportunity to walk into a full body scanner and walk away with a perfect replica of yourself in a much smaller scale.

Narcissistic?

Maybe. But also pretty darn cool.

Also, you can always pretend that you are creating the mini-me to give to the grandparents…because why wouldn’t they want a sculpture of you?

When we covered this possibility last year, the machine was making rounds to different stores but it has now become a permanent feature of each of the 10 ASDA supermarkets around the UK. The process of scanning take approximately 12 seconds and requires that the person being scanned be as still as possible. If you’re nervous about going in on your own, the machine can also scan family groups at the same time. The printing is done off site and the 1/8th scale model is created in full color.

The uses for such a personalized memento are limitless and the creation is available for less than $100. People have used them to create wedding cake toppers, as dolls for their children, as a unique form for popping the big question, or just because it’s cool. Obviously, the next step is the development of some sort of selfie stick for 3D printing so that people can begin to flood the world with not only photos of themselves at famous things or doing fun stuff, but actual copies of themselves.

Okay, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but ASDA’s Head of Innovation and Technology, Phil Stout described the excitement he has seen in their customer base:

“Our customers are always looking for the next big innovation and Asda was the first to bring affordable 3D printing to the market and during the trial customers were queuing round the block to try it out. The possibilities with 3D printing are endless and I’m pleased that we’re ahead of the game in making this truly transformational technology an everyday reality for our customers.”

However, if you are looking for something more along the lines of glamour shots, you might not be ready for the realistic 3D statue that this process creates. It’s one thing to be aware of how much space your body takes up and in what form, it’s another one completely to see it from the outside.

Nonetheless, it is hard to resist the allure of becoming immortalized in ceramics and if you’re already in the store to get some milk and eggs, why not take an extra 12 seconds to be captured forever?

Just make sure you always go shopping looking your best…

Will you add a mini-me to your grocery list? Let us know if you hope to see one of these booths at a grocery store near you in the ASDA 3DMe forum thread over at 3DPB.com.