Add / Remove In Jingle All The Way — perhaps one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, at least in Springwise’s opinion — Arnold Schwarzenegger goes to absurd lengths to get the must-have toy craze Turbo-Man after they’ve sold out in stores. Zeitgeist products from the Furby to Pet Rock will always give parents a headache at Christmas time, but a bigger trend in the ascendancy is the Maker movement, which aims to get consumers creating their own personalized gadgets and playthings. In line with that philosophy, Modio is an app that makes it easy for kids to bring their own imagination to life in the form of a 3D printed superhero or monster figure, based on their own design. Available as a free app for both iPhone and iPad , Modio lets users pick from a huge digital library of 3D parts – heads, bodies, legs and accessories — that can be combined with one another to create unique characters and creatures. Each piece can be customized down to color, pattern and texture, and a detail mode lets kids with a penchant for art to draw their own emblems. The finished design can be played with via the app to test the different poses they can make. When they’re happy with their creation, those with access to a 3D printer can either quickly print their figure in one piece or print each part individually. Individual parts simply snap into place and they twist and bend just like they did in the app. Since each action figure is essentially modular, users can replace any broken parts, or change up their character by simply printing more. The app supports any 3D printer, although it comes optimized for the MakerBot and its Cloud Library out of the box. Watch the video below to see the app in action: Although using Modio to its full potential requires both an iPad and a 3D printer, it allows for a lot more freedom, as well as potential enjoyment and learning for kids than a store-bought toy would. Are there other typically mass-produced products that could be designed and manufactured by consumers using a similar platform? Website: www.modio3d.com Contact: contact@modio3d.com

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Modio lets kids design and 3D print their own action figures

Add / Remove Regular readers of Springwise may remember our recent article on the ambulance drone , designed to offer faster response times and hopefully save more lives as a result. Now looking to target less life threatening situations, our most recent spotting is the creation of London-based Bizzby , which is looking to create the first fleet of courier drones for private individuals. While there has been much talk of major logistics and delivery companies taking advantage of drones to offer faster delivery times, there has been little activity surrounding the possibility of a similar service for individuals. The Bizzby Sky, however, is just that. Equipped with a small on-board compartment measuring 25 cm (H) x 40 cm (W) x 120 in (L) that can carry up to 500g, the drones enable individuals to send and receive small items across crowded cityscapes. To order a drone, users fire up the Bizzby app on their phone and enter details of the item they are looking to deliver, the location they wish to deliver to, and the time they would like the collection to take place. They can enter a pick up location, or let the drone pick up from their current location. Once the drone has arrived and the item has been placed on board, the vehicle will set off for its destination, flying up to 400 feet. On-board sensors are designed to prevent collisions in the air, while cameras give both the sender and receiver real-time tracking capabilities — pixelating any sensitive material for privacy reasons. In the event that the drone begins to run low on batteries, it will automatically return to its home GPS coordinates. However, low batteries may actually be the least of Bizzby’s worries, as the Civil Aviation Authority does not currently authorise the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles over populated areas. Undeterred, Bizzby has created a petition urging the UK government to allow the use of these drones, calling for regulations and controls similar to those already used by air traffic control. Should they be successful, what other opportunities would that new legislation open up? Website: www.sky.bizzby.com Contact: ask@bizzby.com

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Courier drones could make the postman a thing of the past