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Gorgeous hardware prototype case made on the ProJet 460Plus

Motorola and 3D Systems, the inventors of the cell phone and 3D printing, are  teamed up  together on a project known as the “MAKEwithMOTO” tour.  Seven people with backgrounds ranging from engineers to designers, hit the road driving the United States in a Sprinter van packed with prototyping tools and 3D Systems Printers. The stops they make are bringing creativity out at some of the nations top universities. Over this past weekend, the  crew spent three days with students from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The crew worked with 25 students from the university. The students were composed of four groups and included software engineers, designers, programmers and more. Each group was given the task of brainstorming ideas on Friday evening and picking one idea to work on through the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the students put in over 18 hours to bring their idea to concept. Each group worked on their ideas to bring them to life. The students used hardware/software unlocked versions of Motorola’s latest smartphones, prototyping tools, and the hit of the event; 3D Systems 3D Printers!

Gorgeous hardware case designed around fibonacci sequence

One of the teams, “MoTu” stood out creating a beautiful project that implemented 3D printing. The printer they used was a ProJet 460Plus. The 460Plus incorporates advanced 3-channel CMY full-color 3D printing. The final project comes out with a ceramic like feel.

The team project was called Morning Breath, it was designed as a way to connect two people who were in opposite time zones. The project goal was aimed at recreating physical connections over long distances. Through the phone, Morning Breath listens to the sound of one’s breathing and transmits it to their loved-one’s phone which has a fan apparatus and recreates that rhythm on that device.

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The 3D print that they designed covers the hardware on the back of the phone. After a couple mockups to test ergonomics, the team modeled a tessellated form in Rhinoceros around the hardware using what was learned from the ergonomics test. They then developed the base model of the 3D case. For airflow they  mapped and subtracted out holes based on the fibonacci sequence to give the case its unique pattern. The case is beautiful! See the photos. Which one is your favorite?

Beautiful case printed on the ProJet460