The Replicator by MakerBot Industries, the leader in affordable consumer 3D printers.
If you haven’t heard of 3D printing yet, get out more! 3D printing is going to impact every aspect of your life. No, it’s not making holograms, it’s making real objects that you can touch! 3D printers are basically machines that make things out of plastic, layer by layer. Companies such as MakerBot Industries and Kickstarter.com’s Printrbot are competing to get their affordable 3D printers in every home in America, starting at $549.
REVOLUTIONIZE ONLINE SHOPPING
Your favorite websites will soon have the option for instant download instead of overnight shipping. Shapeways.com already has products available for 3D printing. Picture this: You’re shopping for shoes online and after you choose your size and preferred colors, THE SHOES MAGICALLY APPEAR! This is huge.
PIRATING PRODUCTS
You know how easy it is to steal music and movies online, right? Imagine the future where people are PIRATING PRODUCTS! If you’re the DIY type, you’re no longer restricted to wood and screws; You can design a project on the computer and let your desktop 3D printer do all the work!
GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
It gets even better. Getting products made on your desk is not only cool and futuristic, but the Mother Earth will love you for it. All those cell phone cases and coffee tables that are made in China use a ton of gas in transit. If you’ve ever rode your bike to the Apple store just to “help the environment,” I bet you never realized how much larger your carbon footprint just got from buying a product that had to be shipped across the globe! Not only do 3D printers help reduce carbon emissions, but they can help reuse those plastic bottles that end up as landfill. Do you feel bad yet for bashing plastic? It’s the path to a sustainable future for our little planet.
Now you can go tell your friends how we’re all becoming the Jetsons.
by Jesse DePinto
Mechanical Engineering Entrepreneur with a passion for astrophysics. 3D Printing Consultant in Milwaukee Co-founder of 3dcreationsllc.com & hookahhomes.com
