Thingiverse user dj505 knows a thing or two about Altoids tins. Over the past couple of years, this maker has used Altoids tins to make a TV-b-gone (a disguise for a small TV), a working four-port USB hub, and simply integrated them as cases for extra wiring on larger projects.
Now s/he has released the latest addition to the Altoids tin tinkering line: a collapsible 3D image viewer.
This version of the 3D image viewer may not be as elegant but it is certainly more compact than its Victorian counterparts. And that was exactly what dj505 was aiming for.
“The idea for the project came about when I was messing around with Google Cardboard,” the designer noted. “I thought, ‘how can I make this more compact?’ So I built a prototype out of cardboard and worked out how to make it fit inside of the tin.”
“I brought the idea to my dad, who is awesome at modeling in Softimage, and together we worked out a way to 3D print this. We had to design a way to keep it strong and stable but also be able to fold up. For the face plate with the lenses, I just scanned the cardboard version and imported it into Adobe Illustrator. I then traced it, making a vector object that could be imported into Softimage. The hinges were designed so the legs could only fold one way, and would stop if folded the other way so it doesn’t break.”
In any case, it’s clear that s/he has plans to keep tinkering:
“I’ve been doing little projects here and there for a long time. I got good at soldering and started ordering and putting together kits, such as the Raspberry Pi Gameboy by Adafruit or the Adafruit Menta, and various other projects. Later on, I’m planning to improve this project. It’ll still fit inside an Altoids tin, but when you fold it out, there’s a place to rest your phone. That way, you could view images right on your phone, or even play some VR games!”
And that’s the spirit that the Victorians would have whole-heartedly supported. Do you? Let us know if you might try out your own version in the 3D Printed Altoids Stereoscopic Viewer forum thread over at 3DPB.com.