Reviving Shadow Puppets with 3D‑Printed Tech
Meet Ahnaf Hakimi Ahmad, a 33‑year‑old lecturer who’s turning a dying art into a high‑tech spectacle. The idea? Build “wayang kulit” figures out of 3‑D‑printed plastic and have them dance around on a screen, all steered by robotics. No more winding wind‑mills or tired puppeteers—just cool, buzzing automation.
What Wayang Kulit Is All About
This traditional Southeast Asian theatre has long been the backbone of storytelling in Malaysia and Indonesia. Picture long, bat‑like silhouettes sliding across a white wall, pulled by hand‑crafted shapes made from buffalo hide, narrating epic tales like the Ramayana.
Why It Needs a Digital Face‑Lift
- Young folks are glued to phones and floating‑screen shows, so the classic shadow puppet format is getting ignored.
- There are almost no troupes left in Malaysia—just eight villages still keep the craft alive.
- Some community members argue the old stories clash with Islamic values.
Ahnaf’s plan is simple yet dazzling: 3‑D‑print the figures, program them with clever robotics, and show the classics—plus fresh, everyday stories—on any screen, anywhere.
A Shared Vision
He teamed up with veteran puppeteer Mohd Jufry Yusoff to keep the tradition bright while letting technology have its say. Together, they’re steering the animatronics towards modern tales that you can feel in your own city’s daily grind.
Funding & Future
With a 20,000‑ringgit (about S$5,990) grant, Ahnaf’s prototype is already showing on a mall stage in Penang. If the public likes it, the hope is to roll it out like Netflix kits—watch it anytime, anywhere.
So next time you scroll past your feed, keep an eye out for a shadow puppet in the cloud zoning over a quiet corner of the city. It might just be Ahnaf’s latest creation, blending ancient art with a splash of robotic zest—because even the humble buffalo skin gets a glow‑up, don’t you think?
