Fitbit Air users can now 3D print custom accessories

When Google introduced its latest health monitoring product, the Fitbit Air, last month, early feedback welcomed the upgrades from the original Fitbit, including a more lightweight, screen-less design. But that wasn’t quite all Google had lined up for its launch. Just weeks after the Fitbit Air launch, the tech giant released the device’s hardware specifications so that users could customize their wearables using technologies like 3D printing.

With roughly 33 million active users, Google’s Fitbit has become something of a phenomenon since it first launched in 2009. The wearable device is essentially an activity tracker that uses sensors to monitor various health metrics, like heart rate, sleep quality, and more. While earlier versions of the Fitbit looked like digital watches, with a little display interface, Google’s latest iteration, the Fitbit Air, takes a more subtle approach, eliminating the display entirely and embedding the compact device—which Google calls “the pebble”—into a wristband. With this design, users can go about their lives and then check in on health metrics using the Fitbit app.

Part of the Fitbit Air appeal is that the pebble can be swapped between different wristbands, allowing wearers to tailor the wearable to their activity or outfit. And while Google itself has released a wide range of different band styles, it has also recognized that its users may want something more customized. To this end, it released the physical dimensions and design blueprints for the Fitbit air so that people can 3D print their own designs.

As the company said: “We know that your personal style is entirely unique… With a versatile, easy to swap design, we want to embrace this creativity, and make sure you have access to a vibrant selection of accessories for every use case, and to express your personal flair. That’s why, we’re doing something new—we are officially releasing the hardware specifications and accessory design guidelines for the Fitbit Air tracker to the public!”

The specifications includes 2D CAD drawings for the pebble and sleeve, which indicate how makers can ensure functionality for their own bands (including mating dimensions, tolerances, attach and detach force). Google also recommends using biocompatible materials.

Since the release of these 2D CAD files, Fitbit Air users have taken the mission to heart, designing a range of original products for the compact device, including a 3D printed attachment for an armband and a 3D printed adapter for fitting the pebble onto a traditional watchband. Of course, 3D printing is just one tool for creating, users can also use textiles, leather and other materials to customize their Fitbit Air.

Google is also making it possible to certify custom accessories with its Made for Google badge. This means that designers or brands can have their unique products certified by the tech company, which can help with promotion.