Fighting Poverty with 3D Skills

[Les Hall]

Hi all, 

Here is an entrepreneurial model that I feel can be put into action and yield profit for all parties involved.  I keep telling different people about this idea in the hope that it will take root somewhere, to no avail.  I invite you to read a brief summary of the concept below...

Like many people I have 3D modeling skills and also like many people I want to help solve the problems of the world somehow someway, and maybe earn a living for myself in the process.  Well this may be the way for those with a variety of skills to effect social change.  It goes like this...

One of the cost barriers preventing impoverished (third world) people from participating in the global economy is the high cost of international shipping.  if only there were some way to overcome this barrier, even the smallest of profit margins could make a huge difference in the lives of the world's poorest entrepreneurs.  

Well this is possible with modern 3D design and manufacturing techniques.  For example consider the knitting together of camera images taken from many angles around a suitable object or even a person.  About twenty photos provide all the information required to create a 3D model, and with proper instruction an impoverished person can take these photos, perhaps of some "culturally significant" item.  

Once provided with these photos, someone like myself can create the model and share it with the poor person for review.  When agreement / approval is reached, the design can be manufactured in the USA or other first world country or continent using 3D printing and / or other manufacturing techniques, then sold in online stores.  An example of a company that does both the manufacturing and the sales would be Shapeways.  

Then the entrepreneur with the 3D skills can keep some of the profits if that is the arrangement and forward the originator's profits to the poor person, or preferably the skilled person is a volunteer so that all of the profit can go to the third world.  Either way the integrity of the people involved is key.  

Well that is it in a nutshell, the idea I've been trying to put into action and failing to do so for some time now.  I think maybe i could begin a Google advertising campaign targeted to third world computer users but I really don't know enough about what I'd be doing.  My attempts to attract the attention of charitable organizations or churches have yielded zero response.  On reddit many thought I was talking about giving 3D printers to the bottom billion, sheesh!  It's like I just can't win on this one.  Yet I still keep trying.  

Maybe you can help me make this concept a reality.  I welcome your reply.  

Les

[Randy Ohman]

Seems like a cool idea. With a couple challenges overcome it seems reasonable that it would work.

Internet access

Photo capability and knowledge of methodology

Language snafus

Maybe an NGO/foundation through existing outposts could help. I recommend an outline illustration of the idea to make it clear. Also show examples of photo item turned into 3D printed object.

[Les Hall]

I have begun to work with a friend from Cameroon.  He has identified some seashells called cowries and money cowries that are used in jewelry there.  He tells me that people in Cameroon have internet access through cafes, though I have not asked him about telephone access. Now I need to figure out how to model the cowries by photos or by CAD.  

The first challenge is that I know how to model geometric objects but not organic forms. So it is a learning process for both of us.  Actually I correct myself - the FIRST priority is to identify a customer or group of customers as someone else pointed out.  Anyway it's a start. 

Les

[Don Smeller]

Google “3D Scanning With A Camera”.  It can be done using the website 123D Catch which is part of AutoDesk’s suite of goodies.  It’s free.  You walk around your object, shoot a bunch of cell phone pictures, upload the pictures to the website, wait a half hour or whatever, and a 3D file is put on the cloud for you to download.  There will be background clutter to be cleaned up.  Both Greg Bluntzer and I have used the website.  Kind of cool.  Don S

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[Les Hall]

Ty Don, I thought the process was more complex yet you make it sound so simple, will give it a try!  

Les

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