Guardian Article – Is 3D Printing About To Hit Mainstream?
The Guardian has recently released an interesting article about the ever reducing cost and increasing availability of 3D printing technology, and the potential 3D printing machines can offer as a household appliance:
Is 3D Printing About to Hit Mainstream?
Funnily enough, it’s the comments below the article which I find almost as interesting as the article itself. Internet trolls can be funny at times, but there does seem to be a pretty big undercurrent here of dismissing all of this as a gimmick. It makes me wonder if this is what the general public sounded like when the washing machine first made the transition from industrial to home appliance.
Jack Meyer
Bespoke jewellery designer, and specialist in jewellery CAD/CAM and emergent technologies that affect jewellery.
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I, like you, do find the general public’s reaction to 3D printing amusing. But it’s no surprise really, for those of us who spend our lives immersed in the realisation of 3 dimensional objects and even ‘think’ in 3D it’s not a difficult concept to grasp. But for those who don’t inhabit our world on a daily basis it’s can be hard to grasp. I occasionally make theatrical props for shows I’ve been in and kids will come up to me and say “where did you get that?” “I made it” I reply… “No way! you bought it”. “Where do you think anything comes from?” I respond… “people make stuff… I’m one of those people”.
Interesting point, Simon. For those who have never really made anything before, it’s hard to conceive what a craftsman is capable of once they know how. Along that same line of thinking, I suppose it makes sense that the concept of being able to make plastic accessories and toys out of thin air could potentially seem to these people like a parlour trick.