A Smart Print 3D display at Creative Macau in the Macau Cultural Centre complex aims to show that 3D printing can play a crucial role in transforming Macau into a Smart City.

The display introduces a Smart Print 3D project, a scientific collaboration involving research team members from St. Joseph University (USJ), the Macau Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Wiz Technology and a consultant based in Canada. The project kicked off in the first quarter of this year.

Cindia Lam Ching Chi, coordinator of the Evening Degree Programmes at IFTM, talked to The Macau Post Daily earlier this month about the project that is part of the Macau Smart City project.

Lam said the team has applied for funding from the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) in the fourth quarter of last year to support the project which was approved by the government-run fund in December.

Since the funding was approved, the team has been working on various aspects to make the project live, Lam noted.

According to Lam, the project aims to introduce high-end technology to the community in an innovative way – Smart Print 3D Kiosk.

By installing the kiosk at two locations – first at the Macau Science Centre (MSC) and then at Creative Macau, it provides an opportunity for teenagers and adults to observe the 3D printing process. The kiosk will remain at Creative Macau until Saturday.

Meanwhile, Lam pointed out, residents can order 3D prints via the team’s service website, enabling them to experience 3D printing and – hopefully – enlighten their senses with modern technology.

“Smart Print 3D is the first public 3D printing station offering free 3D print objects,” Lam wrote in a follow-up statement sent to The Macau Post Daily this week. In addition, two workshops on an overview of 3D printing were organised in July to educate participants about the possibilities of 3D printing technology.

Research team

Lam also told The Macau Post Daily that the project’s research team comprises Gérald Vincent Estadieu, a research coordinator of the USJ Faculty of Creative Industries/Design Department, Clara Lei Weng Si of the IFTM, Josephine Ho Veng Sun of Wiz Technology and Canada-based Lawrence Ng Man Kit as a consultant in IT development, and herself.

The team launched the project by setting up the Smart Print 3D Kiosk and a webapp for 3D printing ordering apart from promoting it on social media and through workshops to strengthen awareness of the important role of 3D printing in the community, according to Lam.

Lam said the team regards the project as a “mission” to help Macau become a Smart City involving all segments of the population including senior citizens.

Lam stressed that a “Smart City does not really mean high-end technology which only involves experts but actually it’s a kind of technology that can be common in daily life, and that’s why we rolled out a 3-stage plan this year to introduce it to local citizens as well as visitors”.

According to Lam, the team kicked off the first stage with two workshops on July 17 and 25 at USJ’s Digital Fabrication Lab. WIZ Technology’s Ho helped set up a “durable kiosk” that can be easily moved to, and installed at different locations.

Kiosk set up at Creative Macau offers 6 souvenirs free of charge

The team set up its kiosk at Creative Macau on August 25.

The booth displays various items made by 3D printing such as the famous bust of Nefertiti, who was a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, as well as butterflies, bracelets and a QR code plate.

Besides giving an opportunity to let visitors see, feel and touch the items, the team also offers six souvenir items: spinning tops, “Macao” key rings, the Nefertiti bust, Ruins of St. Paul’s light tile, a toothpaste squeezer and “人”Chinese character (“Ren” in Putonghua and “Yan” in Cantonese) key rings as free souvenirs for visitors who complete their questionnaires at the display site.

Lam said that many children who came to the display at the Macau Science Centre wanted to play with the spinning top, while their parents were keenly interested in learning more about 3D printing.

She pointed out that Creative Macau has attracted a different kind of visitor such as middle school pupils as well as art lovers keen to know more about the technical aspects of 3D printing.

Lam said, “We will conduct a survey on the collected questionnaires to start with the second stage and plan to roll out workshops either online or on-site and an app which lets the public learn easily how to prepare an object of their own creation before printing”.

Lam said the third stage of the project is to collaborate with the city’s creative industries in showing them how they can use 3D printing in their work.

Gérald Estadieu’s Digital Fabrication Lab at USJ

Meanwhile, The Macau Post Daily met Estadieu last Friday at his Digital Fabrication Lab on the USJ Ilha Verde campus. Estadieu showed us the different printers and materials he used. He explained that the big items consist of small parts that were then put together and, consequently, all the information sent to the printers had to be very precise so that all the parts could fit perfectly.

He also showed The Macau Post Daily at the Fashion Design studio that some materials making up layers of a garment were actually made by 3D printing.

Lam said the team members were grateful to the FDCT for the funding and the great support provided by the Macau Science Centre and Creative Macau to install their kiosk at the two venues rent-free.

The display at Creative Macau runs until Saturday on the ground floor of the Macau Cultural Centre complex in Avenida Xian Xing Hai from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. A volunteer is based at the venue to provide information.

For more information, please visit website: https://en.Smart Print3d.io/

3D print items are displayed at the USJ Digital Fabrication Lab.

Gérald Vincent Estadieu poses next to 3D printers at the Digital Fabrication Lab on the USJ Ilha Verde campus last week.

Cindia Lam Ching-Chi of IFTM poses at the Smart Print 3D kiosk at Creative Macau last week.

3D print items are displayed at Creative Macau. Photos: Camy Tam