Tripo AI
When you're in a foreign city and see a queue of locals outside a restaurant, you can assume that it's somewhere of which to take note. You can also apply this same logic to stands at TCT Asia 2025. Crowds are largely unavoidable at a show like this, with 36,000 pre-registrations, but there's a small stand that is practically impossible to get near at the moment: Tripo AI.
Tripo AI is fairly well-known in the 3D modeling industry, where it has gained attention in the gaming community since its 2.0 LLM launch in October 2024. Gamers have been using the platform to generate custom content, contributing to a surge in creative modding. But at TCT Asia, a show dedicated to industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing, the question is: why the immense interest?
The answer likely lies in Tripo AI's apparent evolution. It seems it's no longer just about creating digital assets; it's about making those assets physically real. The core technology, highlighted in their brochures and on-stand displays, is a 3D model generator. The latest model can reportedly produce 3D models from a variety of inputs, including text prompts, single images, multiple images, and even simple sketches. The company claims a generation time of around 10 seconds. While marketing materials emphasise "Professional-Grade Model Quality," with detailed geometry and PBR (Physically Based Rendering) materials, at the show it is being presented with a capability for 3D printing.
The live demonstrations at Tripo AI's booth they're showing the latest model - number 8F116, the January 2025, version 2.5 update and it's drawing consistent crowds. Attendees are witnessing a workflow that moves from a text prompt to a 3D model, and then to a sliced file, ready for printing on a compact FDM machine.
They're also showing their "TripoShop" concept, which proposes an "automatic model generation → full-color 3D printing → one-week physical product" pipeline.
But Tripo AI's presence at TCT Asia isn't just about their specific technology; it's representative of a larger trend. The convergence of AI and 3D printing is a developing field. We've seen HP's AI-powered design tools, zoo.dev's text-to-CAD solution for engineering (focused on generating CAD files from text prompts using their Design API and Machine Learning API), and Backflip AI's advancements in 3D scan enhancement.
Tripo AI, however, appears to be carving out a unique niche. While others focus on engineering precision or scan optimization, Tripo AI seems to be targeting creative expression. It offers a view of a potential future where the barriers between imagination and physical creation are lowered, due to the fusion of AI and additive manufacturing. The activity at their stand suggests that Tripo AI is a company to watch.
