Disney Research is exploring the use of 3D printers to build new kinds of light features into toys and objects.  Researchers at the Pittsburgh facility  are working on such techniques with 3-D printing including “light pipes” and tubes of enclosed air that can be manipulated to “glow” in controlled ways.  3-D printers can create objects with pinpoint accuracy that would otherwise be costly and complicated to build, leading the way to create new kinds of toys.  3-D printers can also create “real world” prototypes in minutes – as opposed to having to wait for a factory to retool the product.

Disney Research published a paper detailing prototypes already created including a bug-like figure with glowing eyes ; chess pieces that use light to display information about their position on the board, and blocks of plastic that appear to show explosions inside when light is shone at them.

Related articles

• Disney Research experiments with 3D printed optics (ponoko.com)
• Must-See Video: Disney Research Presents Optically-Enabled 3D-Printed Interactive Objects (core77.com)

Tara (409 Posts)

Whether Tara is helping people make a memory with a trip to Disney (or anywhere else for that matter)  or she is helping to write all the news and gossip to keep you in the know!  She also has a brand new facebook page for even more tidbits on Disney and travel, so visit her at Magical Memories and the Mouse.