During my time at Makerspace, I and Jack (a fellow classmate), constructed a little toy that wished to only happily rotate around in circles and trace its patterns via the three marker that were attached to its small blue plastic appendages (yes, this is personification).  Although the assembly was relatively simple consisting of some basic wiring, taping, and zip-tieing the end result was rather satisfying as it began to fulfill its purpose of spinning and scribbling.

I chose this particular toy because because of two primary reasons: 1 ) I have a liking to building something out of parts; 2) There was a time limit imposed and I wanted to have something functional by the end of the activity

Thus, because I have been exposed to such little novelty items in the past, I was already familiar with the wiring of the basic battery circuit and what needed to be taped or zip-tied in order for the product to function; instructions weren’t needed just a simple glance at the box-art depicting the constructed toy sufficed.  Aside from the actual successful construction of the toy, the Makerspace made me realize that I have a habit of picking a project that has a clear and set end design and function rather than exploring the more abstract and “imaginative’ assembly kits that were sprawled throughout the room (a circuit board with a variety of LED’s and motorized components comes to mind).  Thus, if the opportunity presents itself next time I would like to take on the more time consuming and customizable kits that were present, particularly the previously alluded to circuit board.

I’m not much of an artistic person nor have I ever had any real interest in the large majority of what is considered art.  I will admit, I like music architecture, and graphic novels (Jodorowsky is responsible for this) but I never was really spurred to gain insight into art, at least studiously, beyond the confines of the classroom due to mandatory assignments.  My visit to the MAD didn’t really enlighten me or change my mind in regards to art, but it did allow me to view some interesting things that can be done with the tech of 3D printing.  MAD isn’t like most museums and I noticed this upon visiting one of the floors housing two 3D printers and a computer with a Kinect (Microsoft’s first generation “smart” camera device).  The Kinect and computer were used to scan a willing individual, and if so desired, provided the ability to order a 3D model of the scan.  A custom designed miniature of oneself seems to be rather intriguing given the fact that such a novelty would have been rather expensive if the provided technology did not exist due to that wonderful phrase “economies of scale.”  Here, a custom mold is not needed and the scan can in fact be made with cheap consumer technology (Kinect).  Seeing this little novelty finally allowed an idea to pop into my mind regarding an idea for a project, but more on that at a later date.  In the museum I was looking for something genuinely interesting to write about, something that really generated an interest and was something I would not mind researching further, and then I found it….

I find great interest into the potential uses for 3D printing outside the realm of creating artistic pieces to simply be displayed; practicality and usability of the technology is more interesting than something that serves to be decor. First, the thought of using a massive 3D printer to construct buildings definitely peaked my curiosity and this is exactly what I found at the museum.

A custom designed home at 25% the cost of what it would conventionally be otherwise and done in 24 hours or less is an amazing feat all in itself, but there is so much more worth considering.  The fact that a plethora of materials can be incorporated and then fit to shape an individual’s vision without the restriction of traditional materials and designs creates a whole new realm of possibilities.  Consequently, the fact is that construction costs and time would be drastically cut and would make the dream of home ownership and adequate shelter a reality for many more.

Next, with a customized home an individual will no doubt want to pursue the opportunity to have furniture and decor that fits the home’s design, right?

This particular piece portrays the notion that unique design opportunities arise with the emergence of 3D printing.  The use of alternative materials that are actually able to be shaped, molded, and can potentially be stronger and made resistant to corroding processes as well as damage not only allows for a unique vision to come into fruition for the decor enthusiast, but also serves a practical purpose and would reduce the concern of wear and tear on the object itself.  Consequently, much like the home concept spoken above, one can also assume that pricing would also be made more affordable without having to settle for inferior materials or construction via  conventional “cheap furniture.”

My visit to MAD allowed me to truly see, in person, a variety of ways that 3D printing can be utilized in order to bring a concept, idea, or vision into fruition.  Like the book Fabricated emphasizes, the traditional cost structure  and investment needed into producing a piece, whether it be for the sake of art or usability, is almost done away with.  It doesn’t cost more to produce a variety of unique pieces or prototypes versus a production run of the same exact object.  This allows for constant tweaking and customization to either improve on the design of an object or to realize an artist’s true vision for their piece.  From architecture, decor, clothing,  to prototyping new transport (Rapid Racer by Stratasys)  3D printing has a multitude of uses.  Efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and versatility are all words that I have come to associate directly with the potential that lies with the technology itself.

Chapter 1;

A food printer?  This concept is rather intriguing as I had really not imagined the possibility of 3D printing actually expanding into such territory.  Whilst the chapter describes a variety of applications that the 3D printing process can actually be used for (spare parts in rescue efforts, constructing homes, organs, etc…) food peaked my interest because I was rather hungry at the time.  The idea that someone would simply be able to download a food item from a library of available schematics and have it available for consumption at the slightest whim is a both a dream come true and a nightmare.  Here, late night cravings and a diverse palate can be satiated with the technology, but this spells trouble for both waistlines and the industry in general.  Needless to say the impact of such a technology is nearly unfathomable as it can collapse the food industry in the most general sense.  This concept holds true to what my perception is of the potential impact of 3D printing overall too on a variety of industries.  The world would undoubtedly have to change drastically to accommodate such a powerful technology as it would change the landscape of how we live, produce, and consume in a drastic fashion.  However, food on demand is still quite an attractive concept!

Chapter 2;

“In a 3D printed future world, people will make what they need, when and where they need it.” (pg. 11)

The concept embodied in this quote is both extremely pleasing and disturbing.  Just as the chapter highlights, it is up to the individual and thus their intentions for what the technology would be able to produce.  Much like Alfred Nobel who created dynamite for use in mining operations, others sought to use his creation for destructive  purposes evolving it and warping it into an instrument of death.  3D printing would open up such a realm on a massive scale.  The ability to create weaponry from a catalog acquired through perhaps an internet database that many could have access to or hack if they sought fit would spell disaster on a grand scale.  On the other hand, the potential benefits are too great.  The chapter highlights the fact that 3D printing would allow for the control of an objects material composition and open up a whole new world to what is possible to blend and then construct.  Here, self-healing machine parts among many ideas are mentioned and this can have great benefit in business, medicine, exploration, etc….

Chapter 3;

“On a 3D printer it costs the same amount of money to 3D print 1,000 unique products or 1,000 identical products.” (pg. 27)

The ability to bring an idea to life and then allow for experimentation via modifications to make it truly feasible is a very promising concept to many.  In the world today it costs a substantial amount to bring an idea to life as a design concept can be fatally flawed once it is born into our physical realm; a thought doesn’t always translate well into reality.  Here, the technology promises to allow for a user to easily modify and thus keep trying to make that idea into a truly practical product, and this in a general sense, would breed creativity and ultimately allow risky ideas to potentially come into fruition.  Time and money are both very important aspects that govern day-to-day life in the world and may perhaps be considered the “end-all-be-all” in business and thus the fact that 3D printing can modify a whole variety of processes in bringing a product to market by streamlining the process and making it more efficient and effective holds great promise into what the future holds if the technology is properly embraced.

Chapter 4;

Microfinancing

Much of the chapter covers previously touched on material, but the emergence of a microfinance economy is something that I had not previously put much thought into.  Indeed, traditional lenders tend to extend credit to only those with an established track record and this model tends to shutdown the dreams of many entrepreneurs who cannot secure financing to bring their ideas beyond that point.  The chapter points out a statistic that is very interesting; reported payment rate of 95-98% in regards to microloans numbering an estimated 74 million people with funds totaling $38 billion.  Crowd funding websites like KICKSTARTER already exist and have become extremely popular so it is interesting to see where the finance future is headed especially in regards to 3D printing maturing and giving rise to many more entrepreneurs all looking to make make their creations a reality.

Before I actually begin my semester long journey into the realm of 3D printing I must mention that I have only the faintest ideas of what is possible and isn’t regarding the technology in its present state.  I’ve watched a few video clips in the past, courtesy of YouTube, that show great promise concerning 3D printing and how it can conceivably shape the world by providing the opportunity to capitalize on ideas, do away with “old-school” thought like economies of scale, and allow people to create things once thought impossible due to aspects like complexity per the limits of traditional materials and methods for construction and creation.  Consequently, I also saw someone 3D print a knife that was so dull it couldn’t cut through paper (in this video the individual actually tears a hole and pretends the knife is doing the work!), so I know that certain aspects of the technology aren’t really viable or directly available to the average person.  Much like prior tech ventures (personal computers, cellular phones, etc…) the technology is in a relatively infant state and is looking to blossom into something special that has the potential to find its way into ever individuals home for personal use.  Aside from the fact that I am venturing forth into unknown territory regarding 3D printing, I am not too much of a blogger or social media user so this is all new to me; let’s begin!