5 Amazing Things People are 3D Printing These Days

Every where people are using 3D printers to make plastic figures and Yoda heads. However, 3D printing is not limited to these small DIY projects. Many designers and engineers are taking this growing technology to even more amazing (and useful) levels.

3D printing may not be quite there yet, but in three decades the technology has progressed leaps and bounds in terms of the scope and utility of 3D-printed objects.

We are listing 5 things that have evolved with this exciting technology – in ways we could have hardly imaged.

1. Makeup

Makeup is all about color, and printers can print millions of color combinations. Why not combine traditional inkjet printing with 3D printing and print your own makeup? Well, Grace Choi, a former student of Harvard Business School, came up with this idea. She has constructed a 3D printer which can make powders, creams, and just about any type of cosmetic you might need.

2. Vinyl Records

Amanda Ghassaei, a software engineer, developed a way to take any piece of digital music and 3D print an LP record that actually plays on a standard turntable. Even though vinyl records are old school, plenty of people still prefer them to digital music files and mp3 players.

3. Food

Honestly, 3D printed food doesn’t sound appetizing at all. But believe it or not, 3D printing tech has started delving into printing actual meals. NASA has funded an initiative to print food that astronauts can consume in space, and food scientists have been working with the U.S. military to prepare ready-to-eat meals. Also, 3D chocolates, pancakes and pastas has been successfully printed, however, we have our reservations about it.

4. Organs

As crazy as it sounds, 3D printed organs have been a major part of medical research lately. Ears, kidneys, blood vessels, skin and bones have all been successfully 3D printed by scientists. Instead of the typical plastic normally associated with 3D printing, these 3D medical “bioprinters” use a gel-like substance made from cells.

5. 3D printers

Yes, you can even print out a 3D printer with a 3D printer. A DIY project called RepRap is an open source printer that does just that. RepRap takes the form of a free desktop 3D printer, capable of printing plastic objects. Since many parts of RepRap are made from plastic and RepRap prints those parts, RepRap self-replicates by making a kit of itself – a kit that anyone can assemble given the required time and materials.