While Apple has had plenty of
success in consumer hardware, it has stayed away from 3D printing. Aside from
one patent application in 2014 focused on printing multi-colored 3D objects, and
another for a rapid prototyping technique using liquid metals, Apple hasn’t
made any noteworthy plays in the space. But a newly secured patent could be
used to make 3D printing a piece of Apple’s augmented reality initiative: The
technology giant recently acquired a patent (US 9,776,364) for an AR-compatible 3D
printing system.
The patented technology plugs a
gap in current 3D printing techniques: Existing methods have provided no
solution for new objects or materials to be 3D-printed onto existing or
unfinished objects. For example, printing a new handle onto an existing cup.
The new Apple patent uses visuals – either from cameras or augmented reality
systems – to understand the pose and alignment necessary to 3D-print materials
onto an existing item, creating what the patent calls called a “composed
object.” The technology could integrate ARKit-developed apps with 3D printing
technology.
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