How 3D Printing Will Change Our World
Although printing an object out in three dimensions seems like something that belongs in an old James Bond or Mission Impossible Movie, this cutting-edge technology is now a part of our daily lives. Wishing that you had an object on hand, and suddenly having it at your disposal (with the push of a button) only seems futuristic–it clearly belongs in the now.
Three-dimensional printing is already in use in manufacturing and architectural industries. You can only imagine how much easier it is to build something like a car or a high-rise office complex when you are able to test prototypes by merely printing them. Fields like jewelry making, design, and toy manufacturing have many templates that can be purchased by those with access to 3D printers. We examine some of the ways that 3D printing can literally make our dreams come true, along with a few of the nightmare outcomes that are potential by-products of this developing technology.
The Pros
If you imagine your life with a 3D printer at your disposal, you will likely come up with an endless list of things that you could do with it. There are simple, mundane applications, such as printing out tools or utensils that you might need around the house. Just think of a weekend project, like shelf-installation, and picture how much easier it would be to print out shelving or mounts at home. You could easily create jewelry that is one of a kind or produce quick toys for your kids or grandkids.
Once you think of humanitarian uses for 3D printing, you will see the way that such a product has the potential to really change our world. If, for instance, volunteers had access to this technology at refugee camps, they could print out cots, plates, or even medical supplies as they needed them. This would allow them access to supplies on an unlimited basis and spare them from trying to route shipments around hostile locations.
Education is another area that would benefit greatly from 3D printing technology. Art students could create sculptures from two-dimensional sketches and anatomy students could produce 3D models of the human body from textbooks. Think of how much easier it would be to understand physics or other abstract concepts if teachers could print out examples to illustrate important lessons.
The Cons
Imagining all of the good that rescuers or humanitarian aid workers could do with 3D printing is just as dramatic as thinking of all of the things that bad people could enact with this capability.
For every volunteer whom you envision helping the sick, there is a dictator who would love to create more nefarious instruments at will. Already, a Texas company has embarked on distributing downloadable, free models for usable firearms online. The mission of this company is to make the free printing of firearms and bullets available to anyone in the world. This group all but admits that they are curious about sparking international revolutions with this technology. Such applications of 3D printing step around gun laws and could easily be extended to grenades or bombs or landmines…the problems go on and on.
As with most new technology, 3D printing could change the world–for better or for worse. In the end, it is up to us to decide if we will use this technology to promote peace and goodwill or to start a war.
About the Author:
This is a guest-post by Ashley Williamson. Ashley is a part-time guest blogger and her main interest is related to new tech developments and smartphones. She is currently working for a manufacturer of custom urethane products (see this page).
Ashley Williamson is although part time guest post blogger but I found this article interesting and informative. Your discussion about 3D printing is really awesome in which you have discussed beautifully about the pros and con of 3D printing. You have said right printing of objects in three dimensions is already used in most of Hollywood movies. We all know that three dimensional printing has played its vital role in manufacturing and architectural industries.