Galway studio creates 3D-printed Batman replica costume

Galway studio Order 66 Workshop and Effects is taking Batman fandom to new levels of realism, with a 3D-printed replica of the Gotham hero's costume.

The company discarded its traditional methods of sculpting and casting to make the armour. Instead, it collaborated with prototyping firm Tundra Designs and Canada-based effects company Gauntlet FX, scanned from the Arkham Origins video game.

Order 66's Julian Checkley said the new method allowed them to cut the time needed to create the costume in half, to about four weeks. "There's also the extreme accuracy it gives as well," he said. "We can 100 per cent recreate what we see on the screen."

The added bonus is that the costume can be recreated with the correct proportions, something that is difficult to do using other methods.

The costume, which was created to coincide with the release of the long awaited Arkham Knight video game, includes a folding replica Batarang and gauntlets with a fireball shooter and video screens to play sonar schematics.

The cost of making the costume runs into several thousand euros.

The studio, which is increasingly popular with those involved with cosplay, has previously won praise for its Star Wars-based Darth Malgus and Wookie costumes.