1. Field
The disclosed technology relates to a method and apparatus to produce a personalized 3D object, such as photo vending machines hereafter named photo kiosks.
2. Description of Related Technology
Photo kiosks were invented in 1925 by a Siberian named Anatol Josepho. These machines could take affordable portraits anonymously and automatically.
The popularity of photo kiosks has been uneven throughout the past eighty years. In their first 20 years, photo kiosks have had an explosive growth due largely to World War II, as soldiers and loved ones exchanged pictures. Later on, with the advent of the Polaroid and personal cameras, photo kiosks became less popular.
Today, with the coming of digital photography, new possibilities are offered to customers who can apply effects and make several types of modifications to pictures before printing them not only on photo paper, but on several different mediums such as, for example, photo stickers. Customers are thus regaining interest in photo kiosks.
Some attempts were made in the past to sell personalized 3D images in crystals using 3D sub surface laser engraving (SSLE) application technology. As a matter of fact, these attempts have had limited success because the early attempts were not profitable. Several limitations to profitability were encountered such as high initial investment, high operations costs because of the need to have a salesperson. For SSLE shop owners, there was no other alternative than to increase the price of each crystal unit to cover the expenses. Higher prices turned customers off the products, as the majority of them are not willing to pay premium prices even thought they are interested in the product.
Thus, there is a need for a way to produce a personalized 3D object and deliver it to a customer without the aid of a salesperson.