Case Study: GROOVE X achieves faster, higher-quality Lovot prototyping with Stratasys 3D printing

3D printing helps GROOVE X make robots that foster love

GROOVE X, the Japanese robot venture behind the cuddly companion Lovot, needed a fast, reliable prototyping system because designs changed daily and outsourcing left contractors working from outdated data. Their hobbyist desktop printers produced inconsistent, deforming molds, so GROOVE X turned to Stratasys, deploying the Stratasys F370 (and later adding an F170) 3D printer and using GrabCAD Print software to support rapid in‑house iteration.

Stratasys’ F370 with FDM technology and GrabCAD Print let GROOVE X produce sturdy, intricate parts (including walls thinner than 1 mm), shorten support-material removal from about 20 minutes to 5 minutes, and reduce pre-print setup from roughly 15 minutes to 3 minutes. As a result, GROOVE X can print large prototypes over a weekend for weekly review, iterate designs in real time, manufacture accessories and maintenance parts in-house to lower inventory risk, and accelerate Lovot development.

GROOVE X

Takamitsu Ikoma

Product Designer