You guys know what “bling” is? I’m guessing so. It’s all that jewelry and nonsense that rappers put on (even capping their teeth with diamonds) and it kind of became a thing. At least here in the United States. Could the music industry create a similar boom for 3D data capture?
Hard to believe, I know, but see if you can stomach the video for this new song from will.i.am (of the Black Eyed Peas) and Britney Spears (of, well, a decade ago):
Did you get far enough to notice the 3D printer printing out will.i.am’s head? Ok, probably not. I understand that the song is an abomination (although I sort of like the “oh wee oh wee oh wee oh” part). But the part you care about looked like this:
See, will.i.am and Britney are showing how cool they are by showing us the technology they’re down with. You see and iPad with the cool typewriter keyboard link up, an iPod underwater, a robot hand, even the latest digital camera hanging from one of the dancer’s necks ACTING AS bling. Well, all of that plus a Lamborghini. And a bunch of gold chains.
But the important part is that you can’t make will.i.am’s head print out without scanning it first. Or using photogrammetry of some sort, but it looks like a scan to me.
In fact, major music industry commentators have noted that tech has supplanted music as the place where all the envelope-pushers go. As the music is increasingly created with digital tools like MPC players and just plain software, it only makes sense. It used to be that tech rode music’s coattails, but now it’s starting to be the other way around. Musicians want to ride the latest tech, the apps and gadgets that fascinate us nowadays.
And one of those gadgets is a laser scanner.
Get used to it. You’re cool. But you knew that.
