The Pirate 3D printer is one of those innovative inventions that have made 2014 a year to remember.

Though it may be hard to believe, another year is quickly winding down and just as Inventionland has had a memorable year, so too has the world of innovation, particularly in 3D printing!

So, as a final farewell to 2014, we are going to take a look back at some of the inventions that have made an impact on the world of 3D printing through a short series called, “2014 in Review!”

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the Pirate 3D printer!

Not all 3D printers are used to create different gizmos and gadgets that enrich the invention industry. In fact, for the Pirate 3D printer, it has enriched the lives of those who are visually impaired.

This invention is about more than just the technology; it’s about the emotional experience that it’s giving to those who have lost their ability to relive memories through pictures.

Pirate 3D, a Singapore-based tech company, wanted to help the blind “see” photographs again; that’s why they developed the ability to recreate photos for the blind with a 3D printer that would turn those images into plastic.

Through their innovative 3D printing project known as, “Touchable Memories,” Pirate 3D has found a better way to turn regular print pictures into 3D-printed sculptures.

In mid-October, Pirate 3D released a video that featured five seeing-impaired individuals as they recalled some memories of their past. A woman by the name of Daniela said that her memories were “almost like dreams, like a gust of wind—there and [then] gone.”

Each of the five people in the video was able to experience their memories through the Pirate 3D-printed photographs.

Daniela, in particular, was able to relive a memory from her childhood when she and her family went on a ski holiday. A special moment from this experience was that through the Pirate 3D-printed image, she was able to recall specific details that she had previously forgotten, like the wool hat that she was wearing and the atmosphere around her.

Take a look at some other examples of this 3D printed innovation, here!

The Pirate 3D printer is the perfect example of how the world of 3D printing is about more than just finding better ways to do tasks for commercial purposes, but also that 3D printers can better the world and help those in need.

For this invention in particular, the “Touchable Memories” project has given people with a vision-impairment the chance to “see” their memories again through 3D printed sculptures.

Copyright Inventionland, 2014

Sources:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/22/touchable-memories-3d-printing-blind_n_6028656.html

https://www.greenprophet.com/2014/11/pirate3d-3-d-printed-photos-help-the-blind-see/

Media:

https://www.manners.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Buccaneer-3D-Printer.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-4AmztnIYw&feature=youtu.be