3D event in London to print body scans of attendees

London, June 27 (ANI): A 3D printing show to be held in London will be offering its visitors a chance to have their complete body scanned and printed.

Unlike traditional printers, which print ink on paper, 3D printers create objects by adding layer upon layer of material to make a replica of an object from 3D model data.

The technology has been around for more than 20 years but over the last decade the costs have come down significantly, to make 3D printing a possibility for students, small businesses and even individuals.

Kerry Hogarth, the organiser of the show, said that the show would introduce people to the entire process involved in 3D printing, scanning real world objects to make replicas, designing new objects using computer software and then printing their results.

"The people who will come to the show are probably early adopters. Over the last three to six months a lot of people have been enquiring about what to do," the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

Among the companies exhibiting at the show to be held in October this year will be EuroPac 3D, a scanning company whose work has included scanning the Harry Potter set for use in computer-generated imagery and scanning decaying sculptures on the roof of Blenheim Palace so that they can be accurately preserved.

"We'll have scanners there that will be able to scan, say, jewellery. We'll have a complete body scanner which will be able to make a complete scan in about five seconds," John Beckett, EuroPac's managing director, said.

Although printers that are capable of producing large objects are still outside the price range of most people, Hogarth has predicted that prices will fall over the next couple of years.

"The people who are the hobbyists are going to be really inspired by the ideas at the show," she added. (ANI)