3D Printing People: What can be printed using a 3D printer?

3D printing seems to be all the rage these days. They’re showing up in your city libraries, they’re one the news and they’ve even been featured on the comedy website Funny Or Die. So what’s the big deal all about? What 3D printing applications can be used on the consumer and industrial level? Below I have compiled a consumer list of “Cool things to 3D Print” as well as an Industry list entitled, “3D Printing Industry Innovations”.

Top 3 Cool Things to 3D Print

1. Customized iPhone5 case

(Flickr Creative Commons)

2. Did someone loose a Rook? No worries! Print a new castle.

(Flickr Creative Commons)

3. Fractals are cool right? Well, you can print them! Let’s hear it for the Golden Ratio! 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765 … Coool RIGHT?

(Flickr Creative Commons)

Top 3 3D Printing Industry Innovations

1. A Car: Yes, the people at Local Motors have actually printed a car and it took them only 44 hours to do so. Is this car awesome? Perhaps not, but you wouldn’t find me aboard the Wright Brothers first Airplane either.

(Flickr Creative Commons)

2. A Heart: In 2014 scientists used an MRI scan to print a replica heart of a two-week old baby. Using the model they were able to identify the issues and map out a procedure before operating and saved the child’s life.