Autodesk is amping up its commitment to the Maker community through its introduction of two new applications for its Autodesk 123D software—apps that allow creating 3D models based on photos, whether taken with a smart phone or an SLR camera.

“Today’s DIYers need a range of cutting-edge 3D tools to make the most of the artistic and economic opportunities in the emerging maker movement,” said Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products at Autodesk. “Autodesk is committed to removing obstacles to creativity and innovation in this time of the new industrial revolution.”

The apps are 123D Catch, for Windows-based systems, and 123D Make, for Mac OS. For now.

With 123D Catch, a user takes between 40 and 60 photos of a real-life object, making sure all angles are captured. The photos can be taken on any type of camera, as long as they can be uploaded to Autodesk’s cloud-based server. Within a few minutes of uploading, the photos are analyzed and a 3D model of the object is created and returned to the user.

123D Make lets a wannabe Rodin use the image to see what it would look like as an actual 3D model created with layers of a flat material like cardboard. The user can then print flat stackable pieces that have an interlocking framework and assemble the model themselves. For a fee, Autodesk will do the printing and even number each piece to make assembly easier.

If piecing together sliced layers of cardboard is a little too do it yourself, users still have the option to send the model to companies like Sculpteo or Shapeways and have them create the object.

While eyeglass frames are designed by designers, the classic hearing aid—that flesh-colored aural suppository—seems to have been designed by—well, not a designer. And with the stigma surrounding the often-bulky old-school variety of devices, many people who need everyday assistance to hear, end up going without. Hearing aid developer Starkey Laboratories recognized this void in the market and looked to the folks at product innovation consultancy firm Karten Design to create an exterior for its hearing aid technology that would not only be functional, but also “beautiful in the hand and invisible behind the ear.”

Knowing that the typical flesh-toned hearing aids don’t often blend with a wearer’s skin—to put it mildly—the designers used Luxion KeyShot rendering software to perform a digital color study to find a finish that doesn’t match skin tone, but instead acts as a camouflage. Eric Olson, director of design at Karten explains: “We did a thorough study into what colors and what types of finishes blend the best with hair and skin. We narrowed the options down to several multi-tone metallic finishes, which would pick up the naturally occurring highlights in the hair and complement skin tone.”

Finding the perfect finish wasn’t the only challenge for the designers; the form of the device also had to be spot-on. Olson stresses that just because the hearing aid is less than an inch high, the design process wasn’t any simpler. In fact, the designers relied on an automotive-style rendering process when constructing the device’s finish palette, its sculpted profile, and to evaluate the manufacturing feasibility of its small details prior to engineering. The process resulted in a stylish design with complex surfacing that could easily be mistaken for a trendy wireless communication gadget.

In addition to the smooth and sleek surface, the curved spine of the hearing aid features capacitive controls which, like a touch screen on a smart phone, only require the swipe of a finger to adjust the volume – faster and easier than messing with tiny buttons and small dials.

Although the designs of many household solar panels are such that installation requires the skills of full-blown professionals, 3M has developed a see-through solar film that changes not only the idea of what solar panels look like, but also how they are installed. Because the film was designed to easily be affixed to a home’s windows, the product lets homeowners do the job that might otherwise require the experience of Bob Vila to get done—especially in cases requiring climbing on top of one’s roof. What’s more 3M’s translucent panels generate electricity and block about 80% of the sun’s visible rays, without blocking a homeowner’s view. Currently on display at the CEATEC electronics conference in Japan, 3M says the film will go on sale next year.

Made from an organic photovoltaic material that is printed in sheets, the narrow green panels are arrayed in patches and glued to the outside of a window (as the maker of products like Scotch Tape and Super Glue, 3M knows a thing or two about adhesives) to generate power and act as a shade on hot days.

While the sleek appearance, do-it-yourself installation, and energy savings are positives, a downside of the product is that it can only generate about 20% of the electricity that a traditional silicon solar panel does. Under peak sunlight conditions, a square meter of the film can generate about 5 volts at 7 watts of electricity – or enough to charge a smart phone.

The company hasn’t established a final price for the product, but estimates it will cost about half as much as traditional panels. Which is certainly an upside.

Although photogrammetry – the practice of making measurements with the use of photographs – has been around since the 19^th century Creaform, the portable 3D scanning and optical measurement technology company, has brought it to the 21^st with the release of the MaxSHOT 3D optical coordinate measurement camera. The goal: to make the measurement of objects (from parts to full assemblies) faster and easier for users of all skill levels to ultimately reduce production costs. The camera offers a volumetric accuracy of 0.0003 in./ft; the in-use accuracy is based on which Creaform positioning system it is used with (e.g., the photogrammetry camera is compatible with Creaform’s Handyscan 3D self-positioning scanner, the MetraSCAN optical coordinate measuring machine (CMM) 3D scanner, and the HandyPROBE arm-free CMM scanner).

The MaxSHOT 3D camera captures the coordinates of an object and sends the points to VXshot a module of the company’s VXelements 3D data acquisition software. The data are processed and a positioning model is created. To increase usability and accuracy of the image, the software:

– Guides users throughout the measurement process.

– Immediately notifies users if they need to take additional pictures to increase measurement accuracy.

– Provides real-time visualization and validation options of the positioning model.

– Measures and recomputes all identified points each time an image is taken.

Leave the Sharpie markers and pithy “Get Back On Your Feet!” phrases at home; Pedro Andrade’s orthopedic smart cast concept “Bones” isn’t like the casts you remember when you were a kid. (How could anyone forget that itchy and aromatic plaster?) This high-tech design includes sensors that track motion and muscle activity near fractures, letting the patient and their doctor keep an eye on their progress via website.

With the use of a wireless connection, electromyographic sensors embedded in the cast transfer data to a website where the patients and their doctors follow real-time simulations to monitor mobility and recovery achievements, with the ultimate goal of reducing office visits and speeding up healing times. The website even suggests specific exercises to help keep muscles active during healing. While the exercises are most likely medical expert approved, some patients may find getting medical advice from a computer to be slightly unnerving (this may be similar to learning to remove your appendix by watching YouTube).

For those who don’t like the idea of taking the computer’s advice, the site also encourages interaction by letting other doctors and patients check out a user’s progress to discuss and compare healing achievements. Andrade says the social connectivity “works as a way to encourage new users to engage with their recovery process from the beginning of their treatment.”

Unfortunately for the accident-prone, Bones isn’t yet available to the public.