Growing up, did you ever dream of having your very own action figure? When I was a kid — playing with G.I. Joe’s and WWE figures, there was always that thought in the back of my head, could this be me one day? Well, Mini-Me at Corbel 3D have now made this possible.
You don’t have to be a famous professional athlete anymore to be on the shelf in your man cave — yes, it may be a little odd to look at yourself, but it’s also super cool.
Corbel is located in Vancouver, British Columbia and they have created their own custom-built photogrammetry 3D scanner that makes it possible to capture a full 3D scan in the blink of an eye. I was lucky enough to have a go with the scanner and it was definitely an experience.
“3D printing has actually been around for ages, it initially started in the 1980s,” Marketing Director Patrick Wirt told Vancity Buzz. “Only recently is when it really started to pick up its momentum and its capabilities of what it can do. Within the past couple of years, they found out that they can print in 3D and they can capture all sorts of contours and angles that they were never able to do before.
“We’ve taken that technology to do all sorts of different things. We started with doing architectural modelling back in Edmonton, but then we found a new way to really capture this technology and it’s by capturing a person. Using photogrametry scanning we can capture every detail and create something that’s never been done before. It’s the first time in Canada.”
The first ever 3D scanning and printing studio in Canada is located in our very own province. The coolest aspect of the Kent Ave. studio is that anyone and everyone can come in and get scanned.
“We’ve been here since May. The entire process for doing a 3D print, it doesn’t take very long at all, at least the scanning doesn’t,” said Wirt. “When you come in for a scan it takes only about 15 minutes. That’s to capture all the different angles that we need. The capture process is very fast, it’s only one or two seconds. But we will do a couple of different shots for you and figure out which ones you like the best.”
The scan was as precise as one could ask for. They don’t only do single scans, but if interested, they do couple sessions, family and group sessions and even pets. The scanner is comprised of 98x Canon DSLR cameras in a 360 degree array, capable of capturing extremely accurate, high resolution, full colour 3D images.
“With couples it’s amazing, it’s a great family photo for two sisters that got captured. It’s a brand new way to revolutionize the way that we capture our families and our loved ones. When you come in as two people, what we typically do to get the detail required, we scan separately. Then we do a little bit of digital modelling to put them together. If you scan with a dog or a cat or a pet, then you can usually scan with them.”
One would think the process behind such a revolutionary product would be weeks, but in fact it is much much quicker.
“About 48 to 72 hours, so not very long at all to get your very own personalized figurines.”
In this day and age, selfies are a dime a dozen on any social media network. They have become so popular, that Merriam-Webster has even put the term in their dictionary. The selfie is rather narcissistic to say the least, so getting yourself turned into a figurine could be taking it a step further, no?
“When I get that question, I liken it to the digital camera,” Wirt stated. “Do you feel narcissistic when you take a picture? Yes, I mean the amount of selfie’s out there, yes. It’s just a new way to capture yourself and digital camera happened ages ago, now we’re taking it a step further.”
My instant thought when I was about to get scanned was, “can I do this? can I pose like that?” Well guess what? You can literally do anything, the possibilities are endless.
“We’ve 3D printed mountains, we’ve 3D printed the moon. Like literally, the sky is the limit with our technology.”
If you are interested in getting a Mini-Me version of yourself or one of your loved ones, then head over to Mini-Me.ca. Use our exclusive coupon code ‘VCB15’ to get yourself 15% off your first scan.
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Prices
5 inches
- $249.99 CAD
- 1:16 Scale
- $129 Reprint
6 inches
- $339.99 CAD
- 1:12 Scale
- $189 Reprint
Corbel 3D
Address: #101 – 334 East Kent Avenue South, Vancouver
Phone: 604-323-9221
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mini-me.ca
Facebook: fb.com/MiniMeCanada
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