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The Rise of 3D Technology

Three dimensional printers are moving from the lab to the marketplace using technology that could redefine the very concepts of craftsmanship, engineering, and accessibility. As with any emerging technology, 3D printing comes with its share of controversy: the potential to infringe on patented designs or “print” weapon components has raised serious legal and ethical questions. Should certain applications of 3D printing be restricted?

Here are a few ways that companies have “pushed the envelope” on 3D printing capabilities: 

3D Gets Medical
An early-stage experiment at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine is addressing the shortage of organ donors with a 3D printer that uses living cells to output a transplantable kidney. Using scanners and a small tissue sample, a 3D image of a patient’s kidney is created and a computerized process “prints” layers of living tissue that can be fused together. While patients will benefit from more immediate access, how will doctors and insurance companies accommodate this new realm of medicine?

3D Gets Edible
The French Culinary Institute and Cornell University are experimenting with a 3D food printer that brings an unparalleled level of precision into the kitchen. Upload a blueprint for a cake design, fill the cartridges with icing, and hit print. The result is an intricate and delicious piece of technology that could be available to consumers in the near future. Will self-printed cakes become the fad, making pastry chefs a thing of the past?

3D Gets Mass-Market
Services like Shapeaways enable consumers to upload 3D designs and order prototypes in a variety of materials, which are printed and delivered within days. MakerBot Industries sells $1,300 3D printer kits, and through its Thingiverse website allows aspiring artists to share files of their designs. Google SketchUp a free 3D modeling program, also enables consumers to design everything from chairs to toys and share blueprints online .How can you leverage new video technologies to enhance your business, whether to enrich your team’s communications or to engage and educate a worldwide audience primed to hit “play”? 

From medicine to furniture design, the growth of 3D printing is changing the face of a wide array of industries. How will the ability to rapidly create and customize prototypes impact your industry—and your business?

By Jennifer Wang on September 30, 2011 at 12:41pm |

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