The 3Doodler strikes yet again, to the surprise of no one

Dec 30, 2014 12:49 GMT  ·  By

There are several 3D printing pens besides the original 3Doodler, some that have more than one advantage, and yet the 3Doodler continues to be at the heart of most handheld 3D printer news. Like now.

A professional origami artist by the name of Kade Chan has begun to use the 3Doodler in his latest creations. And we don't just mean paper cranes.

Here you'd say that much is obvious, since the 3Doodler makes things out of plastic, not paper. And yet the man is an origami artist. Origami meaning literally paper folding.

Using a 3D printing pen to create new shapes won't ever qualify as Origami, unless Japan decides to change the name of the term just to accommodate additive manufacturing.

That doesn't mean an origami artist can't branch out and try new things though. That's what Kade Chan did when he began experimenting.

The 3Doodler High Heels

While Chan has already created several objects by means of the handheld 3D printing pen, this is, shall we say, the signature item in his still small collection.

His goal was to make a high heel that didn't cause the same leg and foot pain as normal. Not to mention the stress put on the spine by forcing it to absorb all the shock impact from the ground to the body, instead of allowing it to be dispersed between all the joints of the lower limbs.

Since fashion will always be something that both men and women will be willing to sacrifice their health for, Chan figured he may as well render the shoes themselves a bit less harmful.

His solution was a high heel that absorbs the shock itself, by using a metal spring inside the heel. The 3Doodler was employed to create custom high heels according to feet shape, to make them more ergonomic.

The attached gallery shows the high heel in various states of development. Only one wearable shoe has been made so far, but its comfort is said to be sublime compared to the norm.

Practical applications

While this design project will probably never become a marketable product, the underlying concept of spring-based high heel might be picked up by footwear manufacturers. Custom-footed shoes and insoles have already been adopted, so this was really the only missing step in the quest to create a high heel that wouldn't ruin someone's health.

Needless to say, those companies won't be using the 3Doodler in their activities, though 3D printing will still play a critical role.

The 3Doodled high heel (5 Images)

3Doodled High Heel
3Doodled High Heel, back view3Doodled High Heel, sole
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