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3D printed hermit crab shells
Another Hermit Crab Gets a New Home in a 3D Printed Japanese Wedding Chapel Shell - 3DPrint.com
Almost exactly one year ago, we covered Japanese artist Aki Inomata’s fascinating project to 3D print hermit crab shells in the forms of various iconic skylines. Those tiny crawling cityscapes, printed in clear plastic, provided complete shells for the crabs and gave them elegant exoskeletons which I can only imagine made them the envy of the hermit crab social scene.
In the time since then, Inomata has created a new shell habitat for her beloved crustaceans, this time in the form of a Japanese wedding chapel. This is more than just another whimsical creation, however. In this design, she questions the relationship between colonization and ownership that she sees as part of the relationship between Japanese culture and its Western counterpart.
While Christianity is a decidedly minority religion in Japan, the majority of contemporary weddings are held in chapels which are designed based on an agglomeration of ideas of Christian-esque architecture. This combination of imagery, aesthetics, and structure has fascinated Inomata as she travels around the world.
“When I visit western countries, I sometimes notice the origin of archtecture (sic), habits, foods, etc… in Japan, they would be transformed into local styles, and I ask myself, ‘are we Japanese living in a mimicry of western world?’ For me, these imitations, or I would say reproductions or rearrangements, of Western-style architecture, seem to reflect identities of post-colonialism inside of the Japanese people,” says Inomata.
This type of relationship between cultures is not a one-way street. A visit to home stores such as Pier One or Crate & Barrel reveals a wide array of borrowed styles pushed together into pieces that are considered “Japanese” or “Asian.” This type of fusion is also found in food, fashion, and philosophies (forgive me for the incomplete alliteration) as well as throughout history. The Romans cannibalized Greek forms as was convenient and morphed them into something considered Greek while it would never have been recognized by the Greeks as such.
The hermit crab is a particularly fitting creature with which to do such explorations as it is a soft naked creature that requires an external shell to protects itself and will colonize the abandoned shells left behind by their larger cousins. This particular shell is part of a series ‘Why Not Hand Over a Shelter to Hermit Crabs.’
The question is: are they merely colonizing a derivative form or are they truly their shell’s author since each wears it individually?
The answer: They are hermit crabs and not bothered by such ridiculous existential self-doubt.
Humans, however, are endlessly fascinated with their identities and as Western-style culture becomes popularly practiced around the world, people living in places outside of what is considered to be the birthplace of such culture often question the authenticity of their own creations and the subject/object relationships embodied in such hybrids. The very idea of purity is, of course, elusive as humanity’s one instinct seems to be adaptation.
The video of the hermit crab doing its crabby thing while in the crystalline wedding chapel is fairly zen in and of itself. The crab simply moves along with its beautiful symbol of loving union among two creatures that serves to protect it from the glancing blows of spatial navigation. Rather than asking itself questions, the crab is unwittingly communicating an important message to all of us:
Whatever shell you wear, do it naturally and you can’t help but be beautiful.
Join the conversation about Inomata’s creations in the 3D Printed Chapel Hermit Crab Shell forum thread over at 3DPB.com.
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Tagged with: 3d printed art • aki inomata • architecture • colonialism • crab • hermit crab • hermit crab shelter • Inomata • japan • japanese culture • post colonial • style
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3D-Printed Crab Shells : hermit crab
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Hermit crabs in 3D printed houses star in a funny ad for a real estate agency
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As soon as we joked about the Japanese “real estate artist” Aki Inomata populating hermit crabs in 3D printed shell houses, the British real estate site Zoopla decided to capitalize on the idea, albeit in its own way.
British realtors have filmed a commercial full of crabs, cute 3D printed seashells and, of course, funny dialogues. Who else will be interested in whether the nearby cobblestone comes with the shell being sold and will receive a firm refusal? Hermit crabs are the perfect fit for filming, because they not only often change shells, but also often exchange housing with each other. This, in fact, is the essence of the Zoopla service.
The technique of making houses repeats the experience of a Japanese artist: to begin with, real shells were scanned, and the resulting 3D models were built on with miniature cottages, townhouses and bungalows.
The only difference is that Aki makes her architectural shells transparent, while the houses in the video have been painted. It took about twenty hours to make each sample, and the artwork took another couple of days. Scanning and 3D printing was handled by the Artem studio.
And don't worry - little crayfish were treated like Hollywood stars. During the week-long shooting, only specialists under the guidance of marine biologist Douglas Allen were allowed to touch the arthropod actors, while the crabs were constantly changed, kept in the shade and watered. And here is what came of it:
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Animals whose lives were saved using a 3D printer
3D printing is a unique technology that allows you to create almost any detail or figure quickly, accurately and from a variety of materials: plastic, metal, wax, etc. Further. As a result, manufacturers do not need to reconfigure machines or "cut" prototypes manually - it is enough to entrust this task to the printer.
You can print a variety of things: superhero figures for children, pizza for astronauts, special shoes for a hacker, as well as medical prostheses for people and even animals.
In the 3D printing market, helping our little brothers is not only an act of charity, but also a great way to showcase what new technologies can do. For animals, 3D printers create not only prostheses, but also special splints, splints and other medical devices. When the patient recovers, they can be removed and reused.
New legs for the dog
The front paws of the dog named Derby were underdeveloped from birth, so the dog did not run all his life, but crawled. He would have ended up in a shelter if Tara Anderson, director of 3D Systems, had not adopted him and made this dog the face of an advertising campaign for 3D printing technologies. Finally standing on all fours, Derby quickly learned to run. He liked this activity so much that now he goes on a daily five-kilometer jog with his new owner, Tara's husband.
3D Systems has tried more than one type of prosthesis. The first models did not allow the dog to keep his back straight, which increased the load on the spine and could lead to injury in the future. A simple increase in the size of the prosthesis did not solve the problem - such legs interfered with walking more than helped. The developers had to change the design, pick up a new material and create a kind of functional semblance of a knee. The result is prostheses that don't look like dog paws, but that doesn't stop Derby from happily running around with his tongue hanging out.
Titanium-jawed turtle
Most species of sea turtles are in danger of extinction, so scientists are trying to save every affected animal.
In 2014, an adult male sea turtle met the propeller blades of a motor boat, and the meeting ended tragically: the upper and lower jaws of the animal were partially crushed, which made it unable to feed on its own.
Feeding the turtle in the laboratory was also not easy: the animal could hardly swallow small fish and was on the verge of exhaustion. Therefore, specialists from the Center for the Study, Rescue and Rehabilitation of Turtles at the University of Pamukkale in Turkey modeled and 3D printed a titanium prosthesis, which completely replaced the turtle's lost jaw.
By the way, it is worth noting that metal 3D printing is now considered one of the most promising technologies. Most used to associate 3D printing with plastic products, mainly ABS plastic.
Fusion-printed parts made of such plastic are cheap, but not very strong, and most importantly, this method does not allow creating complex products with sufficient accuracy. Plastic is not suitable for creating a turtle jaw.
Metal 3D printing, on the other hand, allows you to create stronger and more precise parts with small elements. Developers have worked long and hard to create a 3D printer capable of printing metal of the proper quality. Now metal clay is used for this, consisting of a mixture of metal shavings, an organic binder and water (the last two components burn out during firing, due to which, in fact, a solid metal object is obtained).
Two in one: a masterpiece of architecture and an artificial house for a hermit crab
Hermit crabs use the empty shells of various molluscs as shelter and regularly change them - either when they grow out of an old shell, or when a stronger and more aggressive competitor kicks the occupant out of the house he occupied.
The population of these animals directly depends on the availability of a sufficient number of shells of suitable shapes and sizes nearby. Some hermit crabs don't even molt until they find a new home.
Japanese designer Aki Inomata decided to combine art and caring for hermit crabs. Having carefully studied the structure of their favorite shells, Inomata began to print unique houses, identical to the clam shell from the inside. Well, from the outside they look like crystal buildings: cities, mills, churches and famous masterpieces of architecture. Cancers seem to appreciate her concern.
Toucan beak
A group of teenagers in Costa Rica attacked a young toucan. The bird survived the attack but lost the top of its beak. Unfortunately, the injury meant only a slow, painful death for her: without a beak, toucans are not able to forage and eat.
The beak is also involved in heat exchange processes. In addition, the female toucan chooses her mate based on the color of her partner's beak, so this injury would prevent the victim of child aggression from reproducing.
Activists launched a fundraising campaign to help the bird and made a new beak with the money raised. The required amount - about $ 5,000 - was collected in less than 48 hours.
A similar story happened to another toucan named Tieta. The bird was rescued from an illegal poultry market in Brazil. The female toucan has lost the top of her beak. Most likely, she was injured by smugglers. Experts from three Brazilian universities worked together for three months to design and 3D print a special prosthesis for Tieta. Now the toucan can eat on its own.
Drake foot
Buttercup, a duckling, was born and lived with a defective foot turned backwards.
The situation changed for the better when a young drake ended up in a shelter for abandoned geese and ducks Feathered Angels. Here, veterinarians advised to remove the flawed foot, and the founder of the shelter turned to NovaCopy, a 3D printing company, for help.
After scanning the left paw of Buttercup's friend, Minnie the duck, NovaCopy specialists made a prosthesis for a drake, followed by several more copies, including a festive New Year's version and a special prosthesis for swimming. By the way, Dandelion has now become a Facebook star and a symbol of the Feathered Angels shelter.
Tibia for a cat
Vincent the cat was born without tibia, that is, he could not walk. He got new "bionic" paws thanks to Dr. Merry Berg, an employee of the State University of Iowa.
Merry couldn't figure out how to help Vincent for a long time until she got colleagues from Biomedtrix involved in the project. As a result of the joint work, titanium prostheses were created and printed. Conventional prostheses are extensions of a limb, but Vincent had no hind legs at all, so the printed parts were implanted directly into the cat's bones so that the bone could later grow around the metal base. According to the treatment plan, gradually the prostheses will be made longer and longer until they are equal to the front paws. Now the cat is more than three years old, and he is doing well.
Vincent's experiment with titanium prostheses is considered unique, and the experience will be very useful in the treatment of animals suffering from similar diseases.
Wheels for disabled dogs
Chihuahua TurboRu's touching story changed the life of not one dog, but many animals at once. Like many other dogs, this puppy was born with underdeveloped front paws. The owners did not dare to euthanize the baby: they made several home-made devices on wheels that support his chest and help the puppy move around. They posted their research on the Web, and the TurboRu story caused a great resonance.
Among the sympathizers were representatives of the 3dyn company, who made a special gift for the dog - a special cart on wheels. TurboRu quickly got used to the new device and now runs along the street on a par with his peers.
TurboRu was one of the first puppies to get 3D printed wheels, but not the last.
Similar devices are now being created for many disabled dogs. One such lucky person was Narcissus, who was found as a puppy in a box in the middle of the street. The owners wanted to get rid of the dog with underdeveloped forepaws and simply threw it away.
A passer-by took pity and adopted the puppy, and then turned to the SFSPCA charity organization, where specialists made special wheels for little Narcissus. In the video below, you can see how the first acquaintance of the puppy with this device went.
Every year 3D printing becomes more and more accessible, and although 3D printers are unlikely to appear in every home, we don’t have to go far to print a toy or even a paw for a pet - it will be enough just to download model from the Internet and walk to the nearest workshop.
