3D :Printing @Asia

3D Printing: Click & Print


Thanks to Balaji Tammabattula, a native of Sainikpuri in Hyderabad, 3D printing will literally 
become child’s play. Comprising of laser scanner and camera, the device will generate a 3D 

image internally, which can then be directly printed.

3D printing has been around for a 
while. From taking hours to print an object, down to minutes; from single color to multiple and from simple design to complex, 3D printing has evolved. But what hasn’t changed is the process of getting the 3D framework of the object you want to print. It involves knowledge of CAD and other such software, but now, with Balaji Tammabattula’s innovation of handheld imaging hardware that combines laser and camera, things are about to change. While there are many such laser and camera devices in the market, what’s unique about Balaji’s innovation is the fact that it eliminates the need of a computer. This device can internally generate the 3D framework of the object in seconds, which can then be sent directly to a 3D printer. 

Until now, people either had to generate a 3D model of the object (and this required extensive knowledge of specialized software), or rely on the 3D models of objects available online. This left them with little choice, but this imaging hardware will defi nitely make the whole process easier, as people can simply click a picture and transfer it to the printer, and within minutes, they will have a replica of the object they photographed. Balaji, who has a Masters degree in Electrical & Electronics from New York Institute of Technology, says, “The imaging hardware is a wireless device and can be connected to the printer through the Bluetooth function available with both the printer and imaging device. In the absence of any wireless networking, those images can be transferred from the device to the printer through an SD card. Basically, the use of any software or computer systems is eliminated by using this device.” Explaining his concept, Balaji says, “The equipment contains multi lens cameras and a laser scanner. The laser scanner is placed in the middle with multi lens cameras attached on either side of the scanner. The first step in the process is that the laser scanner mounted on the camera scans the object for intricate details and thus generating an accurate 3D model. During this process, the camera takes hundreds of photos in quick succession. In these processes, two diff erent sets of data are obtained from the device. One is the laser scanned 3D image that gives all the intricate details of the object with high accuracy. This would be treated as the skeleton of the object. Second are the images generated by the camera. The user can move the camera around the object to capture a 3D panoramic view. Once all the images are taken, they are automatically stitched together to form a perfect colored 3D image with all other objects and background elements eliminated by the camera.”He explains further, “The laser generated skeleton is then superimposed with the 3D images captured from the camera with the fi nal results of a real life 3D image. All this is accomplished within the device and thus eliminating the need of any software use by the end user and at the same time generating a 100% accurate 3D image. The image generated can be directly transmitted to a 3D printer to replicate the photographed image. Of course, the quality of the final output from the printer is defined by the complexity of the printer.” The device can also be customized for industrial requirements by increasing the number of lenses. “It’s an expandable system where depending on the resolution and depending upon the quality of the image you want to generate, more number of lenses can be added to the system. Also, a higher density laser can be used for the same. Right now, what we use is a low beam, low density laser, because firstly the cost, and secondly, a home based consumer cannot use a high density industrial laser because it is not safe,” he said.

While several governments and private firms across the world have purchased this technology, Balaji, who spent about two years perfecting it, wants to make it available for home-based consumers. He has set up a manufacturing plant in California and the first batch of the consumer products will be available in a couple of months for around $600.