3D printing is a continuously evolving technology. It broke out onto the scene not too long ago, although the first iteration were being made in the early 1980's.
Past
The first 3D printer
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Chuck Hull is said to be the father of 3D printing. The picture above is from 1983. Look at that awesome computer. Imagine watching YouTube on that! Chuck patented the stereo-lithography fabrication system, and formed his own company.
Now
3D printers now range from home use, to corporate. Home printers can be bought for as little as a couple of hundred bucks. Corporate printers can go into the millions.
Yep! That's a 3D printer! Little bigger than you expected?
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The 3D printer pictured above belongs to the European Space Agency. It is supposed to print a HOUSE. Isn't that ridiculous?
Simple home-use 3D printer
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This one above is your typical home-use 3D printer. They cost a couple of hundred dollars, depending on your local retailers, and are capable of printing smaller objects. These cheaper models need a lot of calibrating and adjusting, so they are not for everyone. It's really cool that many households can afford to have one of these at home. Not long ago that was a pipe dream.
Future
The future is exciting!
I am especially excited for bio-printing. This technology will allow us to print organs and other biological tissue. This will completely revolutionize medicine! Image the donor list suddenly disappearing as organs are printed left right and center? In fact, imagine getting a new organ as you are aging! You stop by your nearest store, and pick out a new set of lungs!
Bioprinter developed by 3D Bioprinting Solutions
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There are still many challenges ahead for bioprinting. Printing organs isn't like printing a fidget spinner. That being said, very real strides are being made. I believe it won't be long before this becomes a reality!
@unprovoked