Royal Caribbean and Snapchat bring 3D printing underwater

Snapchat, the video and photo-sharing app, is the cornerstone of many people’s vacations; used as a key form to show off your latest foodie endeavor or the latest beach you’ll be laying on for the next week. Now, thanks to a partnership between Snapchat and Royal Caribbean, they are taking your Snapchatting game to the next level with a 3D printed diving mask

Although it is still in the prototype phase, this diving mask, called the SeaSeeker, incorporates the Snapchat spectacles to bring a whole new dimension to your Snapchat stories. Following an announcement last Monday by the cruising giant, the goggles will enable users to snap while underwater, showing off life under the sea as seen by the user.

To create the SeaSeeker mask, the development team designed a 3D printed, ABS plastic adapter to mount the Snapchat Spectacles inside the mask. This helps to keep the Snapchat Spectacles aligned inside the mask and positions the camera for a wide-angle, underwater point of view. Using the magnetic button that is located outside of the mask, the user is able to activate the video recording function, which can be done up to 150 ft underwater for up to 30 minutes. In addition, the mask also includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth syncing, an HD video capture, and underwater audio recording.

“The immersive point of view provided by Snapchat Spectacles are a great match for what we’re trying to do: bring new perspectives to the ecology and culture of the Caribbean,” explained Christian Madden, SVP, creative technologist, MullenLowe U.S. ” Our design and prototyping process focused on creating a 3D printed adapter that surrounds the Spectacles and mates them to a customized dive mask, creating a water-tight environment for the camera’s electronics. Being able to create rapid prototypes on the 3D printer enabled the team and Royal Caribbean to try a number of different approaches before finding the optimal solution.”

The SeaSeeker prototype is currently being tested by Roberto Ochoa, a wildlife photographer; Gaby Nava, a Marine Biologist; and Ashleigh Baird, a competitive free diver, all of whom you can check out on Royal Caribbean’s Instagram and Snapchat channels.

As of right now, there is no official release date or price, but some are reporting that guests onboard Royal Caribbean cruises will have exclusive access to the mask.

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