Mark Zuckerberg 3D printed a mini version of his dog for its birthday

Mark Zuckerberg 3D printed a mini version of his dog for its birthday

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While most people might simply overlook their pet’s birthday, or treat them to a small edible treat, relatable Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has found a way to turn his pup’s 6th birthday into a tech-marketing event for all to see. More specifically, Zuckerberg gifted his dog Beast—possibly the cutest mop-dog we’ve ever seen—with a miniature 3D printed version of itself.

The tiny 3D printed Hungarian sheepdog was made by a team from Oculus, the renowned VR firm owned by Facebook. And considering the video that Zuckerberg released to show us all how the 3D printed dog was made, Beast’s birthday seems to be just as much a celebration as an ad for the company’s new Oculus Medium.

Facebook employees work on the 3D model of Beast

As the video shows, a designer uses Oculus Medium to sketch out and model the dog figurine in a VR environment using the handy touch controllers, capturing Beast’s shaggy locks through immersive hand gestures. Once the model is done, it is then sent to be made and post-processed at Facebook’s “404” 3D printing lab.

According to Zuckerberg, his pet was not really aware that he was being turned into a 3D printed toy. He said: “Beast was pretty confused, but I love that we have the technology and culture where people just make things like this for fun.”

It seems like Zuckerberg has been having loads of fun with his new tech recently, as he also got lots of attention for a funny but strange promo for his new AI assistant, voiced by the ever-smooth Morgan Freeman.

We have to admit that the new Oculus Medium promo is more up our alley, as the technology this time does seem quite cool. According to the Oculus website, “Oculus Medium is an immersive VR experience that lets you sculpt, model, paint, and create tangible objects in a VR environment.” Using the Touch controllers, designers (from beginners to experts) can create 3D models in a more haptic, tactile way.