Apple’s Siri Springs to Life in 3D

Ever since Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant that is the main attraction of the Apple iPhone 4S, was introduced in October, there's been tons of speculation about the voice. Just who is behind this all-knowing entity that can answer a far-reaching range of questions -- anything from where the nearest gas station pumping diesel fuel is to just what the meaning of life is?

Instead of leaving it up to our imagination to visualize Siri, one company decided the quest was the perfect showcase for exercising its 3D printing capabilities. Shapeways, a do-it-yourself 3D printing service aimed at professionals and enthusiasts, recently sponsored a contest inviting all community members, Twitter users, and hobbyists to submit their ideas of what Siri might look like via a sketch, image, or 3D CAD model. It promised that two winners would have their designs 3D printed and sold at its online store.

There were two categories in the Shapeways/Siri contest: a 3D Design category for the professional modelers and an Inspiring Design category aimed at the broad audience of DIY hobbyists. The top winner was "Omniscient Siri," a creation by SagaDesign, which interpreted Siri as a 3D face popping out of the phone -- reminiscent, in my view, of the Dementors, some of the scarier characters in the Harry Potter saga. The 3D printed object of Omniscient Siri is now available as an iPhone case on the Shapeways site for $90. The other winner was Eddie Adolf's rendition of Siri as a punk rocker sitting at a desk fielding questions via a headset. To me, this interpretation paints Siri with a Girl With the Dragon Tattoo flair.