Ruining the surprise: Researchers 3D Print The Toy Inside A Kinder Egg Without Cracking It Open
3D printing has an unlimited amount of uses, but one researcher has managed to find a way to use it to spoil the surprise of a Kinder egg using an X-Ray scanner and a Makerbot 3D printer. Boo!
Laura North, a student at Swansea University, created the project – which is about to go on display at the Royal Institution after winning a prestigious science prize.
Crushing A Child’s Fun
“The comic strip depicts the process of using both non-destructive testing and rapid prototyping techniques to replicate a toy found in a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg,” said North.
However, she claims that ruining the dreams of children may also have a serious use – seeing inside mummified remains, and even creating perfect joint replacement parts for people.
“It may seem silly and insignificant to wish to replicate a toy from inside a Kinder Surprise without damaging the egg at all,” she admits.
“However, the concept has many other exciting and broad applications. These range from collaborating with the Egyptology department in identifying and reproducing mummified snake remains, to the concept being utilised in modern medicine, with perfectly fitting joint replacements.”
Making Science Look Nice
The contest won by Laura’s Kinder project is designed to show of pictures created by, or explaining, scientific breakthroughs. Dr Gail Cardew, Director of Science and Education at the Royal Institution, said: “As one of the judges for the Research as Art competition, I felt that more people should be given the opportunity to have a peek at them.
“Not only are some of the images simply stunning, but the beauty also lies in the fact that they are combined with a narrative that explains the work and puts it into context.”
Mark Prigg