I’m sure that you’ve seen a pottery wheel before, if not in real life then in the movies. Anyhow, as you know you use your hands on a piece of clay in order to shape it. It’s quite an old craft and today it has been brought to life thanks to the technology of 3D printing.

3D printers are nothing new, but this is the first time that you actually use your own hands to shape an object that is being printed. It’s all thanks to the 3D scanning cameras that track your hand movement and alter the shape as your hand moves. It’s like you’re having pottery training but without getting your hands dirty.

Thanks to the Belgian company Unflod and designer Tim Knapen we can now make all sorts of pottery on a virtual wheel with our own hands. Unfold’s 3D printer converts ceramic powder into solid forms with a cooling technique, while Knapen’s 3D scanner  transfers your hand movement into the program, shaping your model in a real time. After that you just need to print it all out and be amazed how good it looks. Of course final look greatly depends on your pottery skills and your technique.

This has been a great step when it comes to 3D printing because you can now actually shape your own models before printing. It’s almost like making pottery on your own. As for this new piece of technology I’m sure it will find its place somewhere soon.

[via Newlaunches]