A 3D Future?
If you were to observe mankind 400 years ago and compare it to
mankind 4,000 years ago you would see an eerily similar picture, with only some
added diversity and a small number of living conveniences to set us apart. However, the past 400 years have been a time
that has changed everything we know about ourselves and the world around us,
bringing us to the technology reliant society we are today.
But what’s next? To think
about technology in huge waves, or revolutions, is one way to observe the great
changes of humans. A leader on the
subject, Dr. Daniel Smihula proposed that humanity has gone through 5 distinct
technological revolutions in modern history:
1. The Financial-agricultural revolution (1600–1740)
2. The Industrial revolution (1780–1840)
3. The Technical revolution (1880–1920)
4. Scientific-technical revolution (1940–1970)
5. The Information and telecommunications revolution (1985–2000).
6. ???
1. The Financial-agricultural revolution (1600–1740)
2. The Industrial revolution (1780–1840)
3. The Technical revolution (1880–1920)
4. Scientific-technical revolution (1940–1970)
5. The Information and telecommunications revolution (1985–2000).
6. ???
Most people agree the Information revolution ended around the
year 2000 with the internet bubble. That has left many people wondering
when the next great technological revolution will begin. It has been 29
years since the last revolution, 16 year shorter than the previous period of
"rest", and although it is difficult to see the Present in historical
context, we are already in the next revolution, 3D printing. As
technology begins converging to the point of Artificial Intelligence, space
colonization, nanotechnology, and even unlocking our genetic code, the lines
begin to blur at the massive, exponential growth of technology and what could
come next.
If any one idea can help to grasp this growth
it is Moore’s Law (the number of transistors in a circuit doubles every two
years). Since 1970 (the end of the
Scientific-technical revolution) computers have essentially become 10 million
times as powerful, and your iPhone now has more computing power than the Apollo
11 that landed us on the moon.
So where does 3D printing come in? Everywhere.
3D printing is finding a way into every industry across the
globe much in the same way the internet changed business in the 2000’s. There are 3D printers already being used to
help with surgery, build cars, enhance style, and so much more.
There are two very opposite directions in which 3D printing
seems primed to completely change the way we live over the next two years. Complex details, and huge manufacturing. On the complex side 3D printing is allowing
us to print at .5 millimeters detail in our own homes, with industrial printers
being even more finely calibrated. This
allows us to construct amazing design concepts as well as small parts like an
ear (as they did at Cornell University) if printing with a skin mimic material.
Sweet, Beautiful Complexity |
Sorry Van Gogh |
On the other side we’re seeing modern manufacturing methods being destroyed with the cheaper and quicker 3D printing available. Local Motors in Chicago just printed a full car as many car companies have phased in 3D prints as part of their assembly lines already. Even bigger comes the ability to print entire houses, like Chinese company WinSun has perfected, now printing as many as 10 house in a single day!
Making Smart Cars Cool? |
Making Cookie Cutting Cool? |
This is not a fad. It is
today. It is tomorrow. It is the next
revolution of mankind, and one this author hopes will be the last terrestrial
revolution before we colonize the cosmos in 3D printed ships with warp drives,
seriously. (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/warp/warpstat_prt.htm)
-Ryan Gardner
To learn more about 3D printing visit these great pages:
20 Awesome 3D Prints: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/3d-printings/
3D Printing Basics Overview: http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/
Up To Date 3D Printing News: http://www.3ders.org/