Case Study: Strange Lenses creates durable interactive art lenses with Protolabs

Strange Lenses Brings Together Community with Interactive Art Display

Strange Lenses, an interactive public art installation created by artist-engineer Robb Godshaw, wanted a durable way to produce highly clear lenses that would visually transform people’s faces and encourage strangers to interact. After unsuccessful attempts with other 3D printing and machining methods, the team needed a scalable manufacturing solution that could deliver optical quality without extensive hand polishing. Protolabs helped address this challenge with its rapid injection moulding service.

Using Protolabs, Strange Lenses manufactured the lenses in optical liquid silicone rubber (LSR), which provided the clarity needed while eliminating more than 10 hours of polishing and sanding per lens. The material also offered the durability required for a two-year outdoor installation, resisting scratches, cracks, and heat. As a result, Protolabs enabled Strange Lenses to debut at the Market Street Prototyping festival in San Francisco and entertain millions of passersby over the two-year installation.