B is for ... Building through Printing
So your house was printed off, and that little figurine which looks very similiar to yourself, was also printed off. No big deal. Well it is actually, because 3D printing has become even more advanced, and your printed house, that is a first!
Since the 1980s, 3D printing has been forming nicely, and is fast becoming a technology of the very near future. From the manufacture of jet engine parts to print-at-home weaponry, even the US Military are getting on board with a back-pack size printer to create spare parts whilst in action on the front line.
Japanese company, Omote3D, is putting a new spin on the traditional photo booth by combining the printing process with 3D printing. Instead of a 2D photograph, you're presented with a pocket-size, mini-me sculpture. For a 10cm mini-you, just dish out £160. If 10cm isn't quite enough, then the 20cm figurine is £320. However, if you have glammed yourself up with your Chanel handbag and Vivienne Westwood earrings, you've wasted your time. It isn't quite advanced enough to recognise small details, fluffy fabrics or shiny materials.
Across the pond in New York, Makerbot opened a store offering a slightly more reasonable deal of about £16 for a head figurine manufactured from monochrome plastic filament. But don't worry, if one head isn't enough, then you can buy the printer for around £1,400. There is no price for vanity or insanity these days!
Dutch architecture studio, Universe Architecture, is coming up with an innovative way of creating a house using 3D printing. Printed in 6m x 9m sections, and glued using sand and a binding agent, the team are working with numerous geniuses around the globe to build the house which will take approximately 18 months to complete.
Coupled with the news of the 3D printed house, this does show that 3D printing is slowly going to start being integrated into daily life, as opposed to just being an inventor's wet dream.