Featured image of 3D Print This Augmented Reality Cube, Hold Brains (And Other Things) In Your Hands
This article is free for you and free from outside influence. To keep things this way, we finance it through advertising, ad-free subscriptions, and shopping links. If you purchase using a shopping link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
AR You Ready?

3D Print This Augmented Reality Cube, Hold Brains (And Other Things) In Your Hands

Picture ofMatthew Mensley
by Matthew Mensley
Published Sep 9, 2022

A Redditor has posted their 3D printable QR-code-like cube, compatible with Merge AR apps and hand-held educational experiences.

Advertisement

This week, a fast-rising post on the r/3Dprinting subreddit has forum members toying with brains, all-manner of educational knick-knacks in their hands.

The crux of the post is Redditor stevew91’s 3d printable augmented reality cube. It’s a simple print that you can download from Printables. It requires no support material, and if you print the cube in white filament and shade the raised surfaces, it can be tracked by a pair of smartphone apps, creating an augmented reality experience.

Wherever the cube goes, your selected superimposed object follows.

The model is available on Printables and is seemingly based on cube designs released for the Merge educational platform. There are two apps that can “read” the cube: Merge Object Viewer and Merge Explorer. Both are available on both Android and iOS, with some free models available to all, and further AR-viewable objects locked behind a paywall.

Plenty of Redditors point out that there’s nothing here that couldn’t be printed on paper and stuck together with glue. But where would the fun be in that?

Read that? Read these.

About the Author:
Matthew Mensley is a senior editor at All3DP with nine years covering consumer FDM hardware. He writes news, reviews, and buying guides with the clarity of someone who's seen enough hype cycles to know which ones to take seriously.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement