How you know 3D printing is hitting the mainstream
You know 3d printing is hitting the mainstream when:
- you can 3d print your own water pipe
- there is a site dedicated to 3d printed sex toys with free downloads (aka Dildoverse)
- the 3d printed gun comes up almost daily in conversation
- you regularly get asked if you can print any of the above for someone but soon Staples can do it for them
Cue Fonzi and the shark?
3D Printing at staples? That is crazy and unfortunate that the technology will be so readily
available to the general public. I wonder what sector of people that`s going to put out of work.
Too Bad.
I don’t think it’s going to dramatically change anything…3d printing has been available to everyone for a while now with companies like Shapeways offering those services.
The 3d printers at Staples are paper based (laminated layers of cut coloured paper)…not plastic, metal or resin based 3d printers so there will be limited types of objects done. It’s unclear at this point if the printers will actually be in store or used offsite and then the product shipped to the store. I don’t expect it to be a cheap process either so I don’t see it having that big of an impact to jobs or anything else.
Josh, dont be scared of technology. We continue to make improvements to the ways humans do things. Try to remember that technology replaces old techniques and generates new ideas and new methods. We live in a 3 dimensional world, why not create 3 dimensional things.