3D imaging has moved from the virtual world to the real world with
the advent of affordable quality 3D printers. For years 3D Printers were
expensive, cumbersome and hard to use. That is no longer the case. Now
3D Printers are fun, easy to use, small enough to fit on a desktop and
affordable and will become more affordable going forward as prices keep
coming down now that more people are buying them. But what can you do
with them?
It turns out, all sorts of things. Of course, you can
3D Print a Yoda statue or a bust of the President or some form of art or
toy, but they can be used for much more. The Smithsonian is currently
3D Scanning their Dinosaur collection and making the files available on
line. That means you can log in, download the files and 3D Print your
very own Dinosaur. Archaeologists are 3D imaging and 3D Printing relics.
Now students can actually handle artifacts without fear of damaging a
priceless find, making them better students. Dentists are using 3D
Printers for temporary false teeth. Machine shops are 3D Printing molds
of hard to find parts and casting them in short runs for clients.
Engineers are 3D Printing prototypes; Architects are 3D Printing
building models; chefs have 3D Printed chocolate in intricate designs
combining food and art; a firm even 3D Printed a bridge over a river by
merging a 3D Printer with a robot.
3D printers are great for
schools and not just engineering departments of colleges and
universities. There are entire curriculums available for K through 12
classes centering on Math, Science, History and yes Art. And departments
other than Engineering can benefit from 3D Printers on the university
level. Chemistry and Physics departments can 3D Print molecules and
atoms, making tangible what has been only described or viewed in a 2D
image. History departments can 3D Print a village from the 17th century
and give students a better understanding of the layout. Priceless
artifacts can be 3D Scanned and 3D Printed giving students a hands on
experience of things to valuable to be handled before. There are medical
applications as well. Medical engineers have used 3D Printers to print
prosthetic arms, hands and legs at a much reduced cost than traditional
manufacturing. The possibilities are nearly endless.
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