Forget shopping in that crowded mall. Or even browsing through endless online catalogues. The next time you want a jazzy pair of earrings to go with your LBD, just make it yourself, right at home. This is, simply put, what 3D printing can do for you.

The tech

When it comes to 3D printing, the name kinda says it all. While the research and the accompanying hype has been around for sometime now, it’s only now that mainstream 3D printing is starting to gather momentum. At CES 2013, last month, one of the most innovative products was the Cube 3D printer which could helps you turn your ideas and designs into real stuff you can hold, like toys and jewellery, mugs and magnets.

Start-ups

As far as the common consumer is concerned, there seems to be unprecedented enthusiasm around the idea of 3D printing. Take this project on Kickstarter for example. Formlabs, a company which signed itself up on Kickstarter, is based on the premise that it’ll manufacture a low-cost yet quality 3D printer. The idea went live and was open for funding on 26{+t}{+h} Sep, 2012. Within a month it had reached its targeted capital of $ 100,000. But the crowd kept contributing to kickstart the idea and now Formlabs has almost three times the amount they had initially hoped to raise for their prototype.

The founders from MIT say their raison d’etre of this project is simple. On the web site they mention, “There were no low-cost 3D printers that meet the quality standards of the professional designer. We became frustrated by the fact that all the professional-quality 3D printers were ridiculously expensive (read: tens of thousands of dollars) and were so complex to use. We decided to build a solution to this problem ourselves, and we are now ready to share it.”

Unlikely uses

While this niche technological advancement might seem to be at a nascent stage, it has already proved to be of impressive use. Early last year, surgeons used a 3D-printed jaw which was then successfully implanted on to a patient.

While this case might be particularly philanthropic, there are already tons of super-quirky uses that people think they can put 3D printing to.

To cite just one, one company is proposing the idea of 3D bio-printed meat. Yes, you read that right. Chances are you will no more be called a murderer when you profess your love for a rare steak. And alas, Pam Anderson will no more be seen barely-clad, in a cage, protesting the consumption of meat. The company hopes to use the same technology used to create medical-grade tissues to bring printed food to your dinner tables.

And here’s another something for all you PETA supporters. 3D printing has gone ahead and even given an American bald eagle a brand new beak. Sketched with CAD software and printed with nylon polymers, the world's first prosthetic beak is already squawking away to glory.

>mahananda.bohidar@thehindu.co.in

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