The inventor is largely a jack of all trades. It’s important to keep a pulse on emerging perspectives, developments, and movements across industries. Understanding problems in existing technologies, identifying trends, and reading extensively can all add texture to the creative brainstorming process.

Here are some developments I am following in the world of 3D printing.

The First 3D Printed Bridge

Just last week, 3D printing firm MX3D began construction on the world’s first 3D printed steel bridge, which will span a city canal in the famous Red Light District. This is a significant advance in the 3D printing industry—until recently, the technology to print large structures using metal alloys in mid-air did not exist. The project will take three to four months for completion.

Researchers Design Super Efficient 3D Printed Battery

A team of researchers from the Manchester Metropolitan University has recently received a grant to begin three years of work on a project to create 3D printed batteries with highly conductive graphene inks. These sustainable batteries and super capacitors will have increased storage and longer life spans, a critical component to clean energy.

Consumer Builds 3D Printed Railgun

An independent inventor has built a 3D printed, handheld railgun capable of launching graphite projectiles at up to 560MPH. The gun uses parallel electrodes to fire a bullet with over 1,800 joules of energy. This is a particularly important development as discussions on consumer weapons and 3D printing opportunities gain momentum. As 3D printing technologies become widely available to consumers, manufacturers and lawmakers are scrambling to establish boundaries and standards.

From massive architectural feats to green technologies to possible threats—3D printing will affect change, introduce new challenges, and offer once impossible solutions in every facet of our lives. Developments emerge daily, and the world is watching.

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Over 30 years ago, the production of plastic prototypes was arduous and time-consuming, which could slow the development of product designs by up to two months. Hull began observing his employer’s process of applying plastic veneers on furniture with UV light. Identifying his own frustrations with prototyping, he used his knowledge of current technologies to develop a solution.

Hull theorized that it would be possible to layer plastic and manipulate its form using light in order to create three-dimensional objects. After a year of experimentation, he invented the method of stereolithography, or the process of tracing and reproducing layers of an object using photopolymer, which hardens under light.

Hull went on to patent his method and found his company 3D Systems, which continues to offer commercial 3D printing products to manufacturers like General Motors. Three decades later, subsequent innovators have developed Hull’s technology further to increase efficiency and diversify materials and outcomes.

Hull’s story is a familiar one—the common man identifies a kink in a process and uses foundational knowledge and a lot of creativity to develop groundbreaking technology as a solution. Then, he releases it to the world of emerging thinkers who shape and refine it to suit a rapidly changing world.

Pay attention, dream a lot, and get to work. Today’s idea is tomorrow’s global impact.

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Building Bytes

Complex brick designs, created by Brian Peters of Design.Lab.Workshop, eliminate the need for molds, expanding the possibilities of unique design and architecture solutions. These bricks, for example, are 3D-printed honeycomb segments that interlock to create a structure.

Biotexture Wet Model

In Tokyo, 3D-printed models simulate the tissue, tumors, blood vessels, and behavior of human organs, allowing student surgeons to refine their skills with the scalpel without real risk. In the future, experienced surgeons may explore options and test surgical solutions on models of patients’ organs. One day, the hope is to use this 3D printing technology to produce functional transplant organs.

3Doodler

Using the technology of 3D printers, this unique pen produces hot malleable plastic that cools to create a solid structure. Artists and designers are no longer confined to flat sketches of multi-dimensional structures on paper. Users can plug in the 3Doodler and draw in three dimensions, creating instant models. Inventors, in particular, can use the pen for an engaging, hands-on experience with their early ideas—an invaluable opportunity.

The Dextrus Hand

Created by Open Bionics in Bristol, England, this robotic, prosthetic hand uses steel cables to simulate tendons, which are attached to motors in order to maximize dexterity and user control. The user’s arm is scanned in order to design a custom fitted hand complete with contoured skin and knuckles. Open Bionics is currently working to offer a low-cost prototype to amputees in 2016.

I’m always looking to learn about the latest innovation. What 3D printing opportunities most excite you? Share them with me on Twitter with the hashtag #Best3D.

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What is 3D Printing?

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a term to describe the growing number of processes and methods used to produce a three-dimensional object. The earliest prototypes, developed in the late 1970s, were expensive and limited in capability. These young industrial robots produced 3D objects by depositing material onto a powder bed in a manner similar to an inkjet printer. Today, new processes are continually emerging while older methods mature.

How is it done?

All 3D printers require a virtual model that can be made with computer software or a 3D scanner, which collect information about an object’s shape and appearance in order to replicate it. Printing materials, which were originally limited to photopolymers cured with ultraviolet light lasers, have now expanded to include metal alloys, clay, rubber, edibles, thermoplastics, and more.

In many methods, these materials are printed in thin, successive layers, as directed by a computer, until the desired object is produced. The process can take up to several days or as little as an hour, depending on the complexities of the method, printer, and model.

What can we use 3D printing for?

Automotive and aerospace manufacturers have already begun to explore the commercial possibilities afforded by 3D printing. Design, architecture, and fashion industries have a unique opportunity for creative endeavor and production. Many companies are now working to develop affordable 3D printers for consumers.

Research and development in food production has sparked curiosity in the potential of 3D printing to aid in the developing world. Additionally, it has been proposed that 3D printing can inform medical equipment and drug production and distribution.

What’s next?

As technologies mature, methods sharpen, and new generations of innovators are introduced to this new vehicle for creation, 3D printing will affect change in every dimension of our lives. The myriad of opportunities has yet to unfold in entirety and will surely continue to expand.

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