Photos: Hasbro
Hasbro has announced a new personalization platform, Hasbro Selfie Series, that employs 3D-printing to let consumers create a collector-grade six-inch action figure in their likeness for $60.
Under a partnership with Formlabs 3D, Hasbro will initially launch with costume designs from G.I. Joe, Ghostbusters, Power Rangers and Marvel, as well as designs inspired by Star Wars heroes.
To make a figure, fans download the Hasbro Pulse app, scan their face, customize the action figure and hairstyle, and send their mock-up to Formlabs printers. The offering launches this fall exclusively on Hasbro’s app.
Hasbro first began testing the use of Formlabs 3D printers in 2014. At about that time, the hype around 3D-printing replacing traditional industrial production and ushering in an era of mass customization was crashing, due largely to the underlying technology’s costs.
In a YouTube video, Brian Chapman, Hasbro’s president of design, development and innovation, said the toy maker had long recognized that superhero fans want to be "immortalized in plastic" by seeing themselves become action figures. Only recently, however, have two technologies arrived that make it possible — "a very simple way to scan someone's face and head and then a very affordable way to print that head in a one-off way."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0eHpUR6F5I&ab_channel=Formlabs[/embed]
Augmented reality (AR) applications with three-dimensional depth sensors have made 3D-scanning much more accessible from smartphones for more precise depictions of faces, down to skin tones and hair color. Improving the quality of resins has also helped scale the process to make the price more reasonable to fans.
3D-printing, also called additive manufacturing, has proven to be a fast and cost-effective way to produce functional prototypes, but still has limited consumer applications.
In a report that came out this past March, McKinsey wrote that faster machines, better materials and smarter software are helping to make 3D-printing “a realistic solution for many real-world production applications.” The consultancy still saw technical barriers, including slow speed and limited build volume available in most 3D-printing machines, integration issues with machines and production-control systems, and the cost and scarcity of materials.
Also still to be determined is what sort of demand there will be from customers for hyper-personalized products.
- Hasbro Selfie Series – Hasbro
- Hasbro Selfie Series 6-Inch Action Figures – Hasbro
- Hasbro Announces New Personalization Platform “Hasbro Selfie Series” – aNB Media
- Hasbro puts your face on action figures with 3D printing – TechCrunch
- Will Hasbro’s 3D Printed Action Figures Kick-Off Mass Customization? – Forbes
- For 3-D printing companies, producing in the stock market hasn’t been easy – CNBC
- The mainstreaming of additive manufacturing – McKinsey
- 3-D Printing Grows Beyond Its Novelty Roots – The New York Times