6 Weird Ways 3D Printed Objects are Taking Over
Posted January 24, 2014 & filed under Hiring Resources, Job Search
As with any adolescent technology, 3D printing is going through an experimental phase. It’s trying out new things and searching for a purpose within the prevailing world of modern manufacturing. That means for every practical 3D printed product, we can expect something extraordinary or even downright weird somewhere else. Pretty soon, you might be able to use a 3D printer to make any of the following oddities.
1.) Your Dinner & Snacks. In some ways, this isn’t much of a surprise. Ever since Star Trek captivated audiences with the idea of synthesizing food by recombinating molecules, that idea became an appetizing pipedream for a whole generation of innovators. Now, with 3D printing beginning to pick up momentum, there are no shortage of brands trying to capitalize on the technology.
Hershey’s is partnering with manufacturer 3D Systems to create 3D printed confections. Foodini made a 3D printer to pump out pizza, bean burgers, and cheesecake bites at fast food speeds. There is even a company called Modern Meadow that is contemplating printing out “meat” products (if their attempt at bioprinted leather works first). Who knows, your next meal may be printed out layer by layer.
2.) Your Next Home. A University of Southern California Professor, Behrokh Khoshevis, thinks that he can print out your next home. His vision: use a massive yet portable 3D print that moves back and forth on large-scale tracks, depositing concrete to create the house frame. Venture capitalists and NASA both see promise in Khoshevis’ idea and if everything turns out right, the structure of a custom built home can be complete in less than 24 hours.
3.) The Dead. Be it dinosaurs or deceased royals, 3D printers are being used to add an extra pinch of life to museums. Paleontologists are fabricating bones to complete 3D printed dinosaur skeletons. They’re even printing out skeletal models of prehistoric creatures (with working ligaments) to get a better idea of how they moved.
Anthropologists and historians are even using 3D printing to unlock secrets from the past. They’ve enlisted the help of 3D printing technology to recreate the faces of long gone rulers. King Richard III and King Tut have already received the royal treatment and they won’t be the last.
4.) Your Next Shoe or Outfit – Right now, the idea of wearing something that has been printed one bit after the next sounds a bit peculiar. It might be hard to imagine slipping into 3D printed jeans or slinking into a 3D printed dress. But there are some areas where adding a 3D printed element doesn’t seem all that bad. Certain companies are already in the practice of fabricating soles that conform perfectly to your feet. Others are pursuing 3D printed bras that cater perfectly to the wearer. When comfort is dependent upon our vastly different shapes, 3D printing might not be such a bad idea.
5.) Your Very Own Mini Me – Though you won’t have a living, breathing version of yourself to boss around, you can at least get a miniature 3D printed you. You just have to take a picture, feed it into a formatted 3D print, and let it layer on the plastic until you have a micro version of yourself. There are even places where you can print yourself as a Stormtrooper or Red Shirt, depending on whether your loyalties lie with Star Wars or Star Trek. Who wouldn’t want a little version of themselves on their own mantelpiece?
6.) Your Replacement Organs – If your liver goes bad, don’t fret; you can print a new one. Bio-printing has advanced to the point that living tissue can be deposited layer after layer until you have a working organ. Organovo, a San Diego based bio-printing company, has the capacity to create the first functional 3D printed liver. All the company has to do is overcome the difficulty of manufacturing the vascular systems found in living tissue (which dispenses oxygen and nutrients to satiate your cells). There’s even a 3D printed human ear, though there are no bionic recipients are walking around with it yet.
by James Walsh
