Fusion of additive technology and 3D scanning| Agnieszka Mazurek 

Fusion of additive technology and 3D scanning| Agnieszka Mazurek 
Gallery Design, 9 Wolnica Str.
Duration of exhibition: 10 – 29.10.2024  
Finissage: 29.10.2024, 18:00 

The exhibition accompanies the doctoral dissertation and presents the design process that was carried out during the research work. Its goal was to develop a new product in the form of a 3D scanner.

 Nowadays, we observe an extremely dynamic development of additive technology (commonly called 3D printing) and a rapidly progressing process of its interpenetration with a specific imaging formula, which is obtained thanks to 3D scanning. This interpenetration of new technologies creates further, broad possibilities that revolutionize our current methods of designing, producing, creating solutions, and even imagining these processes – this is how dynamic their development is. Additive technology, thanks to continuous development and, consequently, increasing availability, is becoming one of the methods of producing consumer products. However, new methods of work and production entail the need to create a contemporary formula for objects – their carriers. These devices must communicate with their recipients using a clear, legible language of forms, thanks to which they should „inform” about the simplicity of operation, reliability and precision of the measurements performed, speed of operation and advanced technology contained in such a facility. What is important and what should be clearly emphasized here: in its essence, it is not (another) consumer gadget, but an expression of the contemporary change in the production paradigm. The current applications of 3D scanners allow for a significant shortening of manufacturing processes, saving materials, reducing energy consumption, reducing the amount of waste, reducing  transportation – in other words, they have a significant impact on the environment. The result of the research and design process is the device presented at the exhibition, which can be used, for example, in the medical industry, for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, and in the process of creating personalized solutions, such as orthoses and other precise elements with a high degree of adjustment.

An important aspect of this project was an attempt to overcome user resistance (contrary to appearances, a large part of society feels very afraid of new technologies), and thus expand the circle of recipients of this type of devices by including those who have not used 3D scanning technology so far. The simplicity of the form, referring to simple operation, is intended to encourage the user to discover the full capabilities of this recently available device.

The exhibition presented the design process, the essence of which is the search for a form adequate to the advanced technology that is the source and “mode of operation” of the device. Hand-drawn sketches, 3D modeling, visualizations, detail studies – they show individual steps, i.e. elements of the design path that, in the final stage, led to the creation of a functional prototype.