This is Quin. She’s a fully posable (and Barbie-compatible) doll that can be made on a 3D printer and snapped together. Her creators, the folks at 3DKitBash built her to prove that you can build usable, playable toys on a 3D printer. They also built her because she looks amazing.
The 3D files will cost $55 once the project funds in January and you can order her pre-printed in ABS plastic for $245. You can also order clothes and other perks from their Kickstarter page.
The pair who created Quin are Natalie Mathis and Quincy Robinson. Mathis is the Director of Institutional Advancement at a fine art museum in Cincinnati, Ohio and Robinson is a toy inventor and sculptor. He’s worked for Mattell and Hasbro and writes “If you’ve been in a toy isle at a Target or Wal-Mart, chances are, you’ve seen my work.”
“I’ve also been known to rehabilitate orphaned possums,” he said.
The team is based in Cincinatti, Ohio where they’ve seen a renaissance of sorts in the 3D-printing community. Robinson said that “there is not a 3D Printing device that you’re not a couple of handshakes away from within this modestly sized, yet very capable, city.” The city itself is using the resources of General Electric and Procter & Gamble to expand engineering education and making in this burgeoning town.
“We’re all about trying to test the boundaries of what can be achieved with desktop 3D Printing, and a doll (in my mind) is a pretty big test for good or bad,” said Robinson. “You can’t do a half-ass job and it be considered good. And if it’s not good, it’s ugly. Sculpting or printing-wise. Quin is the result of us trying to prove ourselves and present something to the current (and future) community that demonstrates where we are, and what we can expect. We as a community have the ability to create and offer easy-to-print, modular models, with lots of character, and offer lots of customization potential.”
Robinson and Mathis see Quin as more than just a toy. They expect other 3D printing enthusiasts to remix and modify her for their needs and doll fans can mod her to work with their collectable accessories.
“I really see Quin as being more of an inventing/customization platform. She can perform like a traditional fashion doll, but I hope her ability to be so many things will appeal to the creative tech savvy builders out there that need a no-mess platform to demo their thoughts on,” said Robinson.
Will Quin survive the ravages of a three-year-old in a bad mood? The team thinks she can.
“If you told me three months ago that I’d have a 3D Doll that would be as reliable as a standard Barbie and be able to stand on her own; I would have scoffed… But it’s true! A well printed Quin has the structural soundness of a Barbie with acutely sized tabs to lock legs together and snug joints to aide in poses,” said Robinson. “She’s sturdy.”